August 2008
42 posts
Internet Traffic Begins to Bypass the U.S. -... →
Engineers who help run the Internet said that it would have been impossible for the United States to maintain its hegemony over the long run because of the very nature of the Internet; it has no central point of control. And now, the balance of power is shifting. Data is increasingly flowing around the United States, which may have intelligence — and conceivably military — consequences.
McCain to Choose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as VP... →
she has strong conservative credentials — she is a lifetime member of the NRA and is known for her strong anti-abortion stance — and a reputation as a reformer who has challenged her party’s old guard in Alaska and slashed pork-barrel spending in the state.
On Capitol Hill, Meeting Less of the Press →
The layoffs and cutbacks at newspapers and wire services this summer have affected every area in the country. My former employer, the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, reduced its reporting and editing staff through four rounds of layoffs and buyouts. The Blethen family, which has owned the paper for 10 years, has put it up for sale. Since the newspaper closed its Washington bureau on...
The Media Equation - A Campaign Not Filtered by... →
There are dangers here. By becoming a ubiquitous presence in the digital lives of its supporters, the Obama campaign could become like that friend who I.M.’s a little too often. And while there may be something validating in getting a piece of information at the same time as Wolf Blitzer, a few people who heard an audible notification in the middle of the night probably woke up wondering if their...
Where Have All the Online Travelers Gone? -... →
Customer dissatisfaction with online travel agencies (OTAs) stems specifically from unfriendly booking engines and navigation tools. With few points of differentiation, OTAs have a hard time building customer loyalty and have driven travelers right into the open arms of traditional travel agencies—and new online competitors.
Internet researcher warns innovation lagging →
A short-term outlook and a reliance on quick fixes and fast profits have diluted the curiosity and patience that sustain true innovation and create the potential for future economic growth
On TV, Timing Is Everything at the Olympics -... →
In mid-2005, Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Sports, had secured the support of the International Olympic Committee for the critical move of the finals of the key television sports of swimming and gymnastics to morning hours in China so they could be shown live in prime time in the United States. But he had one more person he needed to consult: Michael Phelps.
Google LatLong: From Google Maps to gold medal →
After returning home to Boise, Idaho, I exported the GPS data to several different formats, one of which I was able to launch with Google Earth. I was then able to trace the entire course from the comfort of my home half a world away and find a similar route to train on back in Boise. This capability along with having the elevation profile proved invaluable in my preparation for my Gold Medal...
Industry Rethinks Moneymaking Software Practice -... →
“No matter what manufacturers want, we’ll give consumers what they want,” he said. But he added that he believed computer makers would find different ways to profit: “While they may be scared by these trends, they’ll be O.K.”
Amazon Relies on Customers to Pimp the Kindle →
The See a Kindle in Your City program, which was started in May, is just another extension of that idea. Freed and members of his group saw that people were especially curious when they saw one in public and decided to capitalize on the phenomenon.
The Media Equation - A Campaign Not Filtered by... →
By becoming a ubiquitous presence in the digital lives of its supporters, the Obama campaign could become like that friend who I.M.’s a little too often. And while there may be something validating in getting a piece of information at the same time as Wolf Blitzer, a few people who heard an audible notification in the middle of the night probably woke up wondering if their ailing aunt had died.
Technology Review: "I Just Called to Say I Love... →
Just 10 years ago, New York City (where I live) still abounded with collectively maintained public spaces in which citizens demonstrated respect for their community by not inflicting their banal bedroom lives on it. The world 10 years ago was not yet fully conquered by yak. It was still possible to see the use of Nokias as an ostentation or an affectation of the affluent. Or, more generously, as...
To Reach Prolific Content Sharers, Lay Off the... →
the most savvy and prolific viral sharers prefer spreading news more than humor
Mozilla drags IE into the future with Canvas... →
“Currently, the experience is pretty crappy: you have to click through an infobar to allow installation of this component, then you have to click ‘Yes’ to say that you really want to run the native content, and then you have to click ‘Yes’ again to allow the component to interact with content on the page,” he wrote in a blog entry. “In theory, with the...
NBC’s Olympic Web Blackout: The View From CBS and... →
“We’ve learned that wherever you are, you watch on the biggest screen you can,” Mr. Bowman said.
HDTV Becomes De Rigeur - Bits - Technology - New... →
High-definition TV is no longer a luxury option. It’s standard.
Poynter Online - Forums →
By creating a clean, clutter-free design, we are making our important, award-winning coverage more attractive to more readers. The energy of our stories and our news talent will be brought to life with rich, colorful pages and vibrant visuals complemented by eye-catching photos and graphics. In addition, meaningful links from The Sun to baltimoresun.com and our other websites will promote better...
‘Saturday Night Live’ Cast Takes a Summer Break of... →
The ability of “The Line” to attract name-brand talent reflects the increasing number of writers and actors who are showing interest in original Web video. “The Line” was the first straight-to-Internet series to be produced and financed by Broadway Video, the production company founded by the “SNL” executive producer, Lorne Michaels. But it won’t be its last: the company says it will produce other...
Is NBCs Tight Leash on Olympics Webcasts a... →
“The Internet hardly cannibalizes; it actually fuels interest,” said Alan Wurtzel, NBC’s president of research, in a conference call with reporters Wednesday.
Police Turn to Secret Weapon: GPS Device -... →
Across the country, police are using GPS devices to snare thieves, drug dealers, sexual predators and killers, often without a warrant or court order. Privacy advocates said tracking suspects electronically constitutes illegal search and seizure, violating Fourth Amendment rights of protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and is another step toward George Orwell’s Big Brother...
The Classic Rock Magazine Is Switching to a... →
Rolling Stone says it will spend more and print more, not less: in addition to using more expensive paper and binding, it plans to add 16 to 20 pages per issue.
TV Networks Rewrite the Definition of a News... →
CNN announced on Tuesday that it would assign journalists to 10 cities across the United States, a move that would double the number of domestic cities where the cable news network has outposts. But in a reflection of the way television networks are reinventing the way they gather news, the journalists will not work from expensive bureaus — rather, they will borrow office space from local news...
The doubts starting to rein back Obama | Andrew... →
Why is it so close? That’s been the chatter after these past two weeks in the three-month run of the Obama-McCain smackdown.
The Media Equation - All of Us, the Arbiters of... →
Early on in any journalist’s career, the young reporter is besieged by advice from all sides. Flacks, sources and run-of-the-mill busybodies will pound on the phone about why the reporter isn’t covering this or that story. And then, a sage editor will appear and counsel the newbie: “We decide what the news is.” That truism still attains; it’s just the meaning of the pronoun has changed. Yes, we...
In the Region - Long Island - The Web as Real... →
“If we know that they can get the information anyway, why send them somewhere else to get it?” said Barbara Ford, president of the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island. Earlier this year, she added, the service added rentals to its search engine. Before the end of the year, it also plans to add homes in the foreclosure process, she said.
City Life - The Smart-Phone Attitude - Editorial -... →
I used to believe that talking on a cellphone had no effect on my walking pace or directional stability. But after watching so many other pedestrians drunk with conversation, I realized that I am just as susceptible. And after switching to a smart phone, I had to switch to a new way of walking. I find it hard to ignore the gentle ping and throb that tells me new e-mail has arrived. So when my...
Yahoo to let visitors decline more targeted ads →
Yahoo Inc. will let its Web visitors decline ads targeted to their browsing habits, becoming the latest Internet company to break from a common industry practice as Congress steps up scrutiny of customized advertising and consumer privacy. Yahoo has been offering that opt-out choice only to ads the company runs on outside, partner sites. Yahoo said Friday it now would extend that option to ads...
WiFi Nearing Takeoff - washingtonpost.com →
“If they charge for it, they are going to make millions and millions of dollars,” said Mike Boyd, an aviation consultant. “Most of us cannot be away from the Internet or our laptops for very long. We get separation anxiety when we are not on the Internet for a few hours.” Delta said it was adding the service because it was cost-effective and could be deployed more quickly...
You Can Go to . . . - washingtonpost.com →
“Text to speech is really really hard to do. A lot of people just turn the voice off and watch the screen — and get in an accident. Exactly. The very best nav is a friend in the passenger seat. But that person can see you and knows the relevance of how quickly we need to turn, or whether we’re in the wrong lane. There’s so much going on. The modern nav system tries to do...
You Can Go to . . . - washingtonpost.com →
“The problem … in a nutshell, is that speech-based interfaces are not human-centric,” says Victor Zue, director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, where he focuses on making human-computer interactions more natural. “They are designed to make the machine’s life easier, and not the human’s. Witness the way we subject ourselves...
You Can Go to . . . - washingtonpost.com →
Decide you can see the on-ramp straight ahead no matter what it says, and off it goes — “Make a U-turn! Make a U-turn! Make a U-turn, you idiot! Recalibrating, grumble grumble grumble.”
ad_icon Okay, the “you idiot” and “grumble grumble” part the machine doesn’t actually say. But our brains invariably fill it in. One couple in the District have...
Pew Internet: Search Engine Use →
The percentage of internet users who use search engines on a typical day has been steadily rising from about one-third of all users in 2002, to a new high of just under one-half (49%). With this increase, the number of those using a search engine on a typical day is pulling ever closer to the 60% of internet users who use email, arguably the internet’s all-time killer app, on a typical day.
Where the Fashionistas Go for a Quick Fix -... →
“People still like flipping a page and experiencing great photographs on paper,” said Imran Amed, the publisher of The Business of Fashion, a Web news site. But a Webzine, he said, “can be much more dynamic, change its content faster, create dialogue with a bunch of people passionate about the same topic, and push the envelope in getting them to interact.”
New Google Insights: Fact or Fiction? You Tell Me →
I think it will appeal greatly to those of us that don’t have access to more comprehensive market research–which is probably 99% of us–but I’d caution building your entire marketing campaign around the data provided by Google Insights.
What I Want PR and Marketing Professionals To Know... →
Be human first on social platforms like Twitter or Facebook. I know Lionel Menchaca as a human and as a Dell employee. You can do the same.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121737022605394845.... →
companies are stepping up electronic monitoring and oversight of tens of thousands of home-based independent contractors. They’re taking photos of workers’ computer screens at random, counting keystrokes and mouse clicks and snapping photos of them at their computers
Research Brief » Blog Archive » Three Screen... →
screen time of the average American continues to increase
Why the Internet Enhances TV Advertising -... →
If an effective internet marketing program increases the rate of conversion of aware consumers into purchasers, then you want to increase, not decrease, the number of aware consumers. Reducing the investment in TV advertising, the primary generator of awareness, undermines the value of the internet effort.
TiVo: Viewers Skip Fewer 'Relevant Ads' →
“If you have an ad that is relevant, you are more likely to pay attention,” said Juenger. “Commercial skipping is not as random as some people think and there are clear differences by demographic group.”
Unboxed - Even the Giants Can Learn to Think Small... →
Optimizing a company for creativity also optimizes it for small-group collaboration. And that opens the door to new information technology that lets team members work cooperatively from anywhere on the planet.
Resisting the Rush to a World of No Cash -... →
In an era of online banking and E-ZPass and workplace cafeterias where an employee-identification card is all you need to buy lunch, who still uses green these days, and why?
SEC To Recognize Corporate Blogs as Public... →
The SEC is taking the right steps to embrace the new tools and services that reach people in addition to wire services. With the recognition of blogs as a viable form of disclosure, under certain circumstances of course, the SEC is officially recognizing Social Media and in a sense, socializing the rules associated with Reg FD.