Social Media – General
What They Know – WSJ – “The Journal analyzed the tracking files installed on people’s computers by the 50 most popular U.S. websites, plus WSJ.com. The Journal also built an “exposure index” — to determine the degree to which each site exposes visitors to monitoring — by studying the tracking technologies they install and the privacy policies that guide their use.”
The rise of social media and its impact on mainstream journalism – Working paper from Nic Newman.
101 Social Media Marketing Terms Explained
How Do You Balance Personal and Professional on Social Media? – “Social media is all about people connecting with people, and so your true personality is bound to come out — no real point in trying to hide who you are as a person.”
36 Awesome Social Media Blogs Everyone Should Read
The Future of Social Media in Journalism – “The future of social media in journalism will see the death of “social media.” That is, all media as we know it today will become social, and feature a social component to one extent or another. After all, much of the web experience, particularly in the way we consume content, is becoming social and personalized.”
Twitter plans to step up monetisation by allowing advertisers to use data on which brands and people users follow to target ‘promoted tweets’. Product manager Shiva Rajaraman said: “Who you follow is a good indicator of what you are interested in. As we move forward, we are going to implement targeting mechanisms that allow people to engage their audience in that way. We are starting with essentially keywords but the basic goal is to build out interests based on who you’re following.”
Twitter has rolled out what they have called the “biggest overhaul of its web page in its four-year history”, incorporating images, video and other media into its main page in a bid to increase stickiness.
Best of the Greater Manchester Police 24-hour Twitter experiment – Between 5am on Thursday 14 October and 5am today (Friday 15 October) the northern police force dealt with 3,205 incidents and posted the details of every alleged misdemeanour on micro-blog Twitter.
Twitter’s Impact On News Traffic Is Tiny | paidContent:UK – Facebook sends 13 times more clicks to news sites than Twitter in France, according to European internet monitor AT Internet Institute.
16 bitchin’ commands and shortcuts for Twitter | Econsultancy
Facebook is introducing new procedures to identify accounts which have been hacked after admitting fraud has become a “major issue” for the company.
Six Reasons Why I’m Not On Facebook, By Wired UK’s Editor – “My cautious use of the social networks has nothing to do with paranoia about privacy; and yes, I celebrate the unprecedented transparency and connectivity that these services can empower. But what’s increasingly bothering me is the wider social and political cost of our ever-greater enmeshment in these proprietary networks. Here are half a dozen reasons why.”
MySpace
Internet TV
Virgin Media CEO Neil Birkett said internet TV will “make people fall in love with their television sets again”, expressing confidence that Virgin’s status as a “trusted brand” will ensure it is well positioned to persuade consumers to take up new services.
Sony has announced a range of Wi-Fi enabled TVs built on Google’s Android platform, which allow users to find content online via Google’s search engine. They can toggle between live TV, or browse online content while regular TV plays in a corner of the screen. Jeff Goldstein, vice president of connected home products and services for Sony, said: “There’s a lot of folks out there who want to see something more out of their TV. I think the adoption rate on this type of device is going to be very fast.”
Google TV product manager Ambarish Kenghe said in a blog posting that the group has been working with “some leading technology and media companies to optimise their content for Google TV, including news sites like The New York Times and USA Today… information networks like Twitter and online networks like blip.tv.” Reported here.
Project Canvas is now YouView.
Initial iterations of YouView will not feature a web-browser, “We’ve essentially built a TV experience” that will function in a similar way to Apple’s App store said Richard Halton. “For content providers, it means you can create a TV experience that’s tailored for the TV set. The reason mobile apps work is because they’ve been tailored for the mobile. In a way, that’s even more so for the TV set, because you’re 10 feet away from the screen.”
Apple has launched a new version of its Apple TV set-top box priced at $99, less than half previous iterations, as well as unveiling a new interface which allows users to stream movies from Netflix as well as content from the iTunes store.
Ofcom has formally handed over responsibility for editorial complaints related to online and VoD content to the Association for TV On Demand. The Advertising Standards Association retains oversight of advertising across the platforms.
Research
A study by Orange found that 13% of smartphone owners said they consume more online newspaper content as a result of their handset’s capabilities; however 14% of people who access the internet via mobiles said they read fewer newspapers as a consequence.
TNS Digital Life | Internet Statistics & Social Media Usage | Online … Interviewing almost 50,000 consumers across 46 countries, including all BRIC and most N-11 markets, Digital Life is the largest, most comprehensive study of the Global Digital Consumer, ever. These markets represent 88% of the global Digital population; we cover markets from where Digital is close to ubiquitous to those beginning their digital journey whether through PC at home, mobile or internet cafés.
Social networking makes you happy – New research has established a direct link between IT access and happiness; social networking and instant messaging were found to provide the biggest benefit. In contrast to the stereotype that IT causes social isolation, the research reveals that the biggest positive contribution that IT access makes to the newly connected is the additional social contact with family and friends.
Almost Half of All British Using Social Media While Watching TV – With the rise of ‘event TV’ like X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and sporting events, more and more British viewers are using social networks and instant messaging to chat to friends as the events unfold according to research from Intel has found that almost half of (45%) Brits have admitted to using sites like Twitter, Facebook and MSN messenger to discuss a TV programme whilst it’s on air.
Devices
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed the group will roll-out Windows-based tablet devices in time for the Christmas market.
The FT says its new Apple iPad app had generated more than £1m in ad revenues since it was launched in May, with more than 400,000 subscribers. It represents 10% of the paper’s new digital subscriptions. Traditional print advertising now accounts for just 40% of the FT’s overall revenue.
Ofgem said it expects electricity traffic to double over the next decade, warning investment of about £32bn will be required to ensure networks can meet demand.
3DTV
Sky has launched its 3D TV channel, the first in Europe, kicking off with coverage of the Ryder Cup. Viewers require a Sky+HD package, a 3D-enabled TV and glasses. Virgin Media said it plans to produce its own 3D content from events such as the V Festival. Its own 3D VoD service is now live.
A YouGov survey of 4,199 Britons for Deloitte revealed only 89 respondents planned to buy a 3D-enabled TV set over the coming year. Five per cent of 25-34-year-olds said they would invest over the next 12 months, while only one per cent of over-45s said they would buy a 3D set.
Search
Google Agonizes on Privacy as Ad World Vaults Ahead – A confidential, seven-page Google Inc. “vision statement” shows the information-age giant in a deep round of soul-searching over a basic question: How far should it go in profiting from its crown jewels—the vast trove of data it possesses about people’s activities?
Mergers & Acquisitions
AOL has bought TechCrunch for an undisclosed sum. AOL CEO Tim Armstrong said: “We’ll try to be as hands-off as possible.”
Internet
The News of the World’s online content is now behind a paywall, costing £1 a day or £1.99 for a month’s access. Editor Colin Myler said the switch represented a “very significant moment in the history of the News of the World”, adding the site would have a “real focus on exclusive video and pictures”. An iPad app is to follow which will cost £1.19 per week.
Google plans to add social features to its core products this autumn, adding he hopes people will use the site to grow their network of contacts. Eric Schmidt said: “The best thing that would happen is for Facebook to open up its data. Failing that, there are other ways to get that information.”
Sir Tim Berners-Lee criticised recent calls by telcos and tech groups for net neutrality to be superseded by a tiered pricing regime. “The moment you let net neutrality go, you lose the web as it is. You lose something essential – the fact that any innovator can dream up an idea and set up a website at some random place and let it just take off from word of mouth.”
Mobile
Verizon Wireless has launched a media storage service which allows users to back up 25 gigabytes’ worth of documents, photographs and other unprotected content from their phone to the cloud. The $2.99 monthly service’s aim is to ultimately allow the content to be viewable on TVs, phones, PCs and tablets.
A report in the Independent said new research found that smartphones running Google’s Android software could take the largest share of the global market by 2014 – rising from a less than 4% share last year. Gartner said Android’s share will hit 17.7% by the end of the year, overtaking Research In Motion’s BlackBerry (17.5%).
The BBC has launched the latest version of its iPlayer VoD service following beta tests. New features include a facility to download programmes ahead of linear broadcast, which can be viewed immediately after transmission, and integration with social networks Facebook and Twitter.
Music
Sony has unveiled MusicUnlimited, a cloud-based music streaming service which it said will “deliver a variety of digital entertainment content and services” within its Qriocity online platform. The service will initially launch in five European countries, including the UK, and will be available across devices including web-enabled Bravia TVs, PlayStation 3 consoles, Vaio laptops and Blu-ray players.
Government will pay you to download music legally…in France – The French government will subsidise young music fans who agree to download music legally, by footing the bill. Under the scheme, French residents will purchase a card, called the Carte Musique, to download music from subscription-based website platforms. But they will only pay half the cost of the €50 credit included in the card, because the French government will step in to pay the rest.
Other
Video calling is poised to become a mainstream consumer sector, with Cisco and Logitech are to launch ‘couch-to-couch’ offerings this autumn, while Microsoft will add the function to its Xbox 360 console alongside its Kinect motion controller in November.
Damian Radcliffe: This Much I Don't Know 