9 new stories on The Next Web today |  |
- New partnerships could see Apple sell 40m iPhones in China this year, says report.
- This is what happens when you joke about “destroying America” on Twitter
- Sky reels in BBC iPlayer and ITV Player as it extends its VOD service to 5 million homes
- T-Mobile UK launches ‘The Full Monty’, a truly unlimited call, text and data tariff
- Samsung tablets to get even bigger with expected Galaxy Tab 11.6 announcement
- Livestream: Watch the future of the music industry explored at Midem’s Visionary Monday
- Google, Microsoft, Facebook and more team up to tackle email spam and phishing
- Shazam’s Will Mills on the company’s evolution into a media companion service
- The FBI will look to seize Megaupload’s user data in its entirety this week
- Wow, watch this girl say any word backwards within seconds
| New partnerships could see Apple sell 40m iPhones in China this year, says report. Posted: 30 Jan 2012 03:47 AM PST  Analysts at Morgan Stanley have predicted that Apple could sell more than 40 million iPhones in China this year, but only if the company partners with new operators in the country, according to a report from Apple Insider. In a note to investors, Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty revealed that, as things stand, the firm foresees that Apple could reach a maximum of 10% of China’s 150 million “high-end mobile subscribers” through its exclusive partnership with China Unicom. However, the addition of relationships with China Telecom and China Mobile could see the Cupertino-based firm more than double its sales in the country, Huberty said. China Telecom is rumoured to be all set to begin selling the iPhone, after it reportedly gained regulatory approval, while China Mobile may not be far behind. The world’s largest operator has long been a rumoured target for Apple, and the companies will reportedly come together when the carrier has finished testing its new 3G network in March. According to the bank’s research, a China Telecom partnership could add between 2-4 million new devices. While, assuming that the device reaches 20% of China Mobile’s subscriber base, as it has with Unicom, Huberty estimates that a partnership with the operator could sell 24 million devices this year, rising to 36 million units by 2013. China Mobile has more than 10 million iPhone users on its network – despite not having an official partnership with Apple – and there is no doubt that adding the 640-million-customer-strong carrier would massively increase Apple’s reach in China. That said, recent reports have shown the iPhone effect is being overshadowed by other devices for China Unicom. The operator has added a record numbers of 3G subscribers and boosted its market share through the sales of more affordable devices, that are up to 80% cheaper than Apple’s smartphone. Apple’s iPhone 4S launch caused controversy and, though the device sold out on launch day, scenes of chaos and violence at its Sanlitun store prompted Apple to later call-off sales of the phone across the country. While there is no doubt that Apple is popular amongst Chinese consumers, it remains unaffordable to a great many in the country, despite the growing affluence of China’s middle class. As we suggested last year, a lower-priced device would be hugely disruptive for China and Asia in general, which could open Apple and the iPhone to new demographics. Image credit: Flickr user williamhook This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This is what happens when you joke about “destroying America” on Twitter Posted: 30 Jan 2012 03:30 AM PST  It is widely known that law enforcement agencies are turning to social networks to monitor citizens but one UK Twitter user saw a joke tweet land him in hot water, as he was detained by Homeland Security in Los Angeles, interrogated and barred from the US, The Sun reveals. Before Leigh Van Bryan and his friend Emily Bunting embarked on a holiday to Los Angeles, Van Bryan tweeted that he was going to “destroy America,” boasting that he would try “digging up Marilyn Monroe” during his trip across the pond. If someone tweets they would “destroy America,” you would expect it to alert law-enforcement agencies. However, in the UK, “destroying” can also be used as a term for partying or having a good time. When Van Bryan and Bunting arrived in the US, they were immediately detained by officials at Los Angeles International Airport, held by armed guards and questioned for over five hours before they were “handcuffed, put in a van with illegal immigrants and locked up overnight.” Twelve hours later, after being held in separate cells (Van Bryan shared his cell with Mexican drug dealers), the pair were released and put on a plane home.
Bryan told The Sun:
Taking the tweets literally, the second of which was a quote from Family Guy, Homeland Security officials searched the duo’s cases for spades, just in case they had packed them to dig up Monroe’s grave. Twitter users have increasingly been forced to accept the consequences of their tweets, with one high-profile case in the UK reaching newspaper frontpages. In 2010, Paul Chambers, captured his frustration in a tweet after he learned that bad weather may halt his plan to fly. He tweeted:
Someone took this "threat" seriously enough to inform the police and Chambers soon found himself arrested on terrorism charges, then charged. Finally at his trial he was found guilty of "Sending by a public communications network a message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character" and fined £1000. Since then he's lost his job twice as a result of the case. Chambers appealed the case but the judge upheld the original decision, meaning Chambers' fine and criminal record remained in place. Following this, floods of Twitter users showed their support with #twitterjoketrial tweets, including Stephen Fry who offered to pay the fine. Van Bryan has since switched his profile to private, perhaps learning of what can happen when you threaten to do funny things inside a tweet that can be seen by Twitter’s 200 million+ users (and law enforcement agencies). This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sky reels in BBC iPlayer and ITV Player as it extends its VOD service to 5 million homes Posted: 30 Jan 2012 03:12 AM PST  Sky has announced that its video-on-demand (VOD) service Sky Anytime+ will soon include both BBC iPlayer and ITV Player, in a landmark move that will bring a plethora of new content to millions of livingrooms across the UK. Sky Anytime+ is currently in 1.2m homes around the country, and it has seen weekly usage increase by 80% in the three months to 31 December 2011. Sky Anytime+ is its Internet-delivered VOD service which comes with no extra charge to subscribers, and Sky is extending the reach of it by making Sky Anytime+ available to all Sky+HD homes with an Internet connection, across all broadband providers – not just those signed-up to Sky Broadband. More than 5 million homes will soon be able to access the service. However, the big news here is the announcement that both BBC iPlayer and ITV Player is arriving on the service, with ITV shows such as Prime Suspect, Lewis and Cold Feet, available from tomorrow on Sky Anytime+. More programming will arrive on ITV Player later this year. The BBC partnership is a massive move for both companies, but comes as something of a surprise given that Sky has been critical of BBC and the way it bundles its on-demand iPlayer content. Sky had wanted to syndicate the broadcaster’s content rather than air it as a BBC-branded service, but it seems to have compromised its position on this. When The Next Web caught up with Daniel Danker, BBC's General Manager, Programmes & On Demand, last August, it was noted that Sky could still be on its radar at some point in the future. Indeed, we reported on the BBC’s future plans for iPlayer following this meeting with Danker, as it announced its plans to take it “beyond the tech savvy” and make it a staple part of livingrooms around the country. And this link-up with Sky is a massive step towards making this a reality. BBC iPlayer has been a hugely popular service with UK audiences since it launched back in 2007, delivering a record 2 billion TV and radio programmes in 2011, an increase fueled by the uptake of mobile connected devices. This deal also builds on a history of industry partnerships that have seen BBC iPlayer rolled out on platforms like Virgin Media, BT Vision, FreeSat, Freeview, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, and hundreds of mobile phones, tablets, and Internet-connected TVs. Launching on Sky Anytime+ is a huge boost both for BBC iPlayer is available on every major UK television platform. “Having the BBC and Sky work together to further build on the BBC iPlayer success story can only be fantastic news for audiences,” says BBC Director General Mark Thompson. “Making BBC iPlayer available on all platforms is key to our commitment to universal access and this agreement takes us one step further towards that goal. I'm delighted to take this first step on a story of innovation for both organisations." BBC iPlayer has helped pioneer TV on demand by giving audiences the opportunity to watch selected TV programmes for up to 7 days after their initial broadcast, and it has evolved to bring more TV programmes and entire series and films, radio shows, live TV channels & radio station, programme downloads for offline viewing and personalisation features such as favourites and recommendations. To help bring the service to livingrooms around the country, the BBC launched a TV-friendly version of iPlayer, rolling it out initially for Sony's PlayStation 3. Jeremy Darroch, Sky's Chief Executive, added: “Sky Anytime+ will go from strength to strength in 2012 and we are delighted that the addition of BBC iPlayer will allow Sky customers to enjoy the best of the BBC whenever they want.” This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| T-Mobile UK launches ‘The Full Monty’, a truly unlimited call, text and data tariff Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:15 AM PST  Mobile phone operator T-Mobile is launching a new ‘all inclusive’ pricing plan that its calling a “landmark” for the mobile industry in the UK. Wednesday February 1 will see the launch of T-Mobile’s The Full Monty, a new mobile phone plan that will offer its customers unlimited calls, texts, and mobile Internet – with no ‘fair use’ restrictions imposed. Indeed, whilst many mobile phone networks offer unlimited data, there is often a limit in place to prevent users from downloading huge files and slowing down the network. These restrictions are also to discourage users from ‘tethering’ their mobile device to their computer and using it as a make-shift ‘broadband’ connection, but T-Mobile says that under its new plan tethering will be permitted. T-Mobile is calling this plan the “first of its kind for the UK” and it will be available in-store and online for customers who sign up for a 24-month plan. Of course, ‘unlimited calls and texts’ will only apply to UK mobile numbers, and landline numbers beginning with 01, 02, 03 – excluding Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man. The Full Monty plan offers four price brackets, ranging from £36-£61 a month, accompanied by a range of smartphones:
In October, EverythingEverywhere, the parent company of both Orange and T-Mobile announced it was rolling out 3G signals to all of its 27 million customers, with the so-called “big 3G switch-on” allowing customers on both Orange and T-Mobile to benefit from faster data download speeds. This meant customers on one of the networks can interchangeably tap into the other network should they enter a zone not covered by their own provider. “Over the past two years, we've seen a rise in mobile internet use of over 250%, which reflects the consumer trend of being 'always on' wherever they are,” says Ben Fritsch, Head of Propositions, T-Mobile UK. “However, consumers also still want to retain a more personal level of communication by calling or sending a text. The Full Monty has been designed for customers who want the peace of mind that there are absolutely no limits placed on their allowances, whilst also knowing they're getting market leading value for money. We believe our Pay Monthly portfolio offers plans to suit anyone's needs, all at accessible prices – and we're really proud to be the first to offer a plan like The Full Monty in the UK.” This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Samsung tablets to get even bigger with expected Galaxy Tab 11.6 announcement Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:00 AM PST  Samsung is expected to debut what could be the biggest tablet device on record with the addition of an 11.6-inch portable to its Galaxy Tab range, AndroidAndMe reports. In a market where smartphones are getting bigger and manufacturers are experimenting with different tablet form factors, Samsung looks to set to raise the bar with a device that is a full inch-and-a-half bigger than other offerings, raising questions as to whether vendors will set a limit to how big they will make them. AndroidAndMe states that there is more to its report than rumour, noting it actually saw the device at this year’s CES 2012 expo and the 11.6-inch Galaxy Tab could be about to make its debut at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February:
This prototype was said to be powered by a dual-core 2 GHz Exynos 5250 processor and features a WXQGA (2560×1600) resolution. The tablet is expected to debut with the latest release of Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich software. With a lot of focus on whether Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S III at MWC, the Korean electronics giant appears to be looking to deploy new devices across its portable families, with a larger-than-average tablet thought to be amongst them. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Livestream: Watch the future of the music industry explored at Midem’s Visionary Monday Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:13 AM PST Today is Visionary Monday at Midem; a full day of talks featuring everyone from Facebook’s Vice President of Partnerships and Platform Marketing, Dan Rose on the future of content discovery, to Rovio CEO Mikael Hed on how mobile entertainment is evolving. Throughout the day, artists, industry leaders, consumers, and a range of experts will all share their insights on how technology can push the music industry in new directions. You can watch it all as it happens in the livestream below Keep up with all The Next Web’s Midem coverage here. Watch live streaming video from midem at livestream.com This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Google, Microsoft, Facebook and more team up to tackle email spam and phishing Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:56 AM PST  Tech giants including Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Yahoo! have combined forces to form a new alliance that aims to eliminate huge amounts of email spam and reduce the impact of phishing attacks on unsuspecting users. Cnet reports that the alliance will announce today the “Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) initiative, a new technical specification that will “reduce the potential for email-based abuse by solving a couple of long-standing operational, deployment, and reporting issues related to email authentication protocols.” The standard will allow Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Yahoo! to offer their users consistent authorisation results for their messages from Gmail, Hotmail and other services, thus improving the reliability of email and encouraging people to place more trust in the medium. The DMARC initiative is an expansion of an anti-phishing initiative by Agari, which Google, Microsoft, Yahoo! and AOL joined to help authenticate platforms operated by Facebook, YouSendIt and other services. The founding contributors include:
Today’s announcement sees other companies join the alliance, ensuring that messages sent between some of the world’s biggest companies can be authenticated and trusted. The DMARC policies have been published in the public Domain Name System (DNS) and are available to everyone. The next step is to submit the specification as an official Internet standard (as noted on the DMARC website):
Google says that in the two years it has been involved in DMARC, it has seen 15% of non-spam messages in Gmail coming from domains protected by DMARC. Whilst the standard is still in the development stages, it already has major backing. Should DMARC.org see its work adopted as the formal way to authenticate messages, we could soon see a huge reduction in the number of Spam and phishing emails we receive. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Shazam’s Will Mills on the company’s evolution into a media companion service Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:46 AM PST  UK company Shazam has come a long way from its early days as a telephone-based service for identifying that great song that keeps popping up on the radio. It has developed into an app-focused media company that wants to work seamlessly with your television viewing. Shazam says that it now has over 175 million users worldwide, with 1.5 million new ones joining each week. Over 5 million pieces of content are “Shazam-ed” per day, driving over 500,000 transactions per day. One third of ads during this year’s Super Bowl will have a Shazam element. Despite a move towards TV, the company recently launched the Shazam Player app, showing that it hasn’t abandoned its musical roots. At Midem in Cannes yesterday, we caught up with Shazam’s Director of Music and Content, Will Mills to hear the latest from the company. You can listen to the full interview below. Keep up with all The Next Web’s Midem coverage here. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The FBI will look to seize Megaupload’s user data in its entirety this week Posted: 29 Jan 2012 11:24 PM PST  The FBI gain access to all of Megaupload’s user data as soon as this coming Thursday, February 2, according to a report from the New Zealand Herald, which cites a letter from the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The correspondence was sent to storage companies Carpathia Hosting and Cogent Communications, both of which host data for the file-sharing site, clarifying that US authorities now have the appropriate search warrants and are looking to gain rights to access the data. Authorities previously copied a portion of the data but are now looking to physically seize the files in question in their entirety. Megaupload’s attorney Ira Rothken told media over the weekend that it is working with the firms to keep hold of the data as it is evidence that is central to the company’s trial. Rothken also revealed that the data — which reportedly includes personal data and legal content belonging to more than 50 million users — should be spared deletion as it belongs to Megaupload customers:
US authorities are moving in on Megaupload thanks to the fact that a number of its servers are based in the country, however Megaupload itself is a registered business in Hong Kong. It is a truly global operation with founder Kim Dotcom based in New Zealand and a raft of other senior figures living in a range of places across the world. In the midst of an initial seven arrests, the FBI seized a whole load of Megaupload's assets, including 10 Mercedes Benz cars, a Harley Davidson motorcycle and an impressive collection of 65 108-inch TVs. The Anonymous hacking group has been busy taking vengeance on a number of companies and government organisations — including the the FBI and the FTC — in response to the closure of Megaupload, which is one of the biggest criminal copyright cases ever. If the entire Megaupload file collection is seized this week, who wouldn’t bet on more ‘hacktivist’ action following? Image credit: Flickr user nostri-imago This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Wow, watch this girl say any word backwards within seconds Posted: 29 Jan 2012 09:16 PM PST When we were kids, most of us went through phases of talking funny or backwards at one time or another, but I’ll bet that no-one came even close to doing ‘the back-chat’ with anything like the fluency of this young American girl. Thanks to the wonder of the Interwebz and YouTube, the world can marvel at ‘Alicia’ from Poteau in Oklahoma firing off the backwards version of a load of words within seconds. If that still doesn’t sound impressive to you, take a look at the video and you will be amazed. The video was posted to Reddit, where it has attracted more than 1,700 comments so far, before it caught the attention of magic superstar David Blane who tweeted it. We suspect that it is on its way to being seen by a massive audience after Twitter CEO Dick Costolo retweeted Blane. We’d like to see this girl’s powers tested even further, as she deals with most of the words in the video with absolute ease. Image credit: Shutterstock user Paul Orr 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