YouTube’s “de-spamming” initiative aims to remove unintended views from videos. The initiative has removed millions of views from videos, and large channels like Sony, Universal and RCA have been among the most affected. Together, these channels have lost upwards of 2 billion views since the Google-owned video site began its de-spamming efforts in December 2012. Continue reading YouTube Channels Lose Millions of Views to De-Spamming

Sunday’s collection of Super Bowl ads failed to impress advertising columnist Stuart Elliott. “The commercials that CBS broadcast nationally during the game were, by and large, disappointing,” he writes. “They represented a missed opportunity for marketers and agencies to demonstrate that they had at least some understanding of how contemporary consumers think and behave.” Continue reading Super Bowl Ads: Too Much of Vintage Vibe and Tired Tactics?

The first day of the Macworld Expo featured iPhone photography as artists and photojournalists discussing a variety of related subjects. Some tried to dispel the notion that iPhone cameras do not have good resolution (they argued that everything is online anyway, and how high-resolution scanners can help create larger images), while others discussed how to use multiple editing applications to create artwork that is not the product of any one editing platform. Continue reading Macworld Expo Dedicates First Day to iPhonography Artists

The University of Strathclyde in the UK has created the Intelligent Lighting Centre (ILC), a consortium comprised of researchers from several universities, to investigate ways to transmit Internet communications using LED lights. The research focuses on using the flickering of LED lights to transmit messages using visible light rather than radio waves, Wi-Fi signals, cell signals or cables. Continue reading Li-Fi: Using LEDs to Transmit Data at One Gigabit Per Second

New Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer wants to improve the company’s mobile search, which trails far behind offerings from search giants like Google and Bing. In her first one-on-one interview since being named CEO, Mayer spoke with Bloomberg Television about the future of Internet search technology, data portability and strategic partnerships. She sees personalization as the key to mobile for Yahoo. Continue reading Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer Talks About the Future of Mobile

Hackers have carried out a sophisticated attack on Twitter, prompting the company to release a statement explaining how its “investigation has thus far indicated that the attackers may have had access to limited user information — usernames, email addresses, session tokens and encrypted/salted versions of passwords — for approximately 250,000 users.” The nature of the attack suggests it could be part of a larger effort. Continue reading Twitter Hacked: 250,000 Users Affected by Recent Attack

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has a book due in April, The New Digital Age, whichexplores the changing technology landscape and how authoritarian governments will seek greater control over Web content in the future. The book criticizes China as “the world’s most active and enthusiastic filterer of information” and mentions China’s state-led efforts to use hacking as a tool against other nations or corporations. Continue reading The New Digital Age: Book Warns of a Dangerous Future China

The Raspberry Pi was initially intended to help schoolchildren tinker with an inexpensive computer ($35 for new models and $25 for older versions). Nearly a million units later, the Raspberry Pi has become a huge success with hobbyists who customize their miniature computers. The Pi is only 3 inches by 2 inches and is less than an inch in height, but its inexpensive nature allows hobbyists to tinker with the device. Continue reading Raspberry Pi: Mini Computer Attracts Hoards of Hobbyists

While Google Glasses have generated a lot of media attention, we don’t know if the technology will achieve a level of social acceptability. Alexis Madrigal of The Atlantic discusses the tech savvy town of San Francisco and what happened when two people walked into a bar wearing the new device. Unlike a phone, Google Glasses are not hidden in your pocket or stored at home — they are on your face, right out in the open. Are people ready for this? Continue reading Opinion: The Pitfalls of Wearing Google Glasses in Public

Early numbers indicate that last night’s Super Bowl between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers broadcast on CBS set new records for number of TV viewers and amount of social activity on Facebook and Twitter. Interestingly, the two events that triggered the greatest number of Tweets did not involve the teams or players, but rather Beyonce’s halftime show and the partial blackout during the third quarter. Continue reading Super Bowl Sets New Records for Viewing and Social Activity

A recent survey suggest that while six out of 10 small business owners say they believe social media tools are valuable to their company’s growth, just three percent of the 835 surveyed believe Twitter has the most potential to help the company. Twitter faces challenges convincing small business owners of the advantages of using the short-messaging system to reach customers and expand their brands. Continue reading Small Businesses See More Potential in LinkedIn Than Twitter

THX has released its first mobile iOS app, designed to help consumers properly adjust their home theater set-up, including TVs, projectors and speakers. The $1.99 app uses custom designed video patterns and audio tests to optimize equipment settings and proper connections. The THX tune-up system uses an iPad or iPhone camera to measure colors and users can follow step-by-step instructions via narration and text. Continue reading THX Launches Mobile App to Tune-Up Home Theater Systems

UK pay TV company BSkyB will begin offering its Sky Sports content on a per-day basis for people interested in watching a particular event, or in sampling programming on Sky Sports. Customers can pay £9.99 ($15.80) for 24 hours of Sky Sports coverage. “This will mark the first time that consumers will be able to watch BSkyB’s premium sports content on a pay-as-you go basis without a pay TV subscription,” notes The Hollywood Reporter. Continue reading BSkyB to Offer Sky Sports Access on Per Day Basis Online

Apple is in negotiations to carry Time Warner’s HBO GO app on its Apple TV by mid-2013, say two people familiar with the matter. Apple’s $99 set-top device already streams content from Netflix and Hulu Plus. With the addition of HBO GO, the STB could better compete with video-delivery devices such as Roku and Microsoft Xbox (which already have the HBO service). Continue reading Insiders Suggest HBO GO Could Be on Apple TV by Mid-Year

Video ad company FreeWheel announced DirecTV as a new client last week. The satellite TV giant chose to work with “the startup to improve monetization on new digital platforms, and has taken an equity stake in FreeWheel to help make it happen,” writes TechCrunch. DirecTV — and other cable, satellite and telco companies — are making investments in services that promote TV Everywhere. Continue reading DirecTV Hires FreeWheel, Hopes to Monetize Digital Content