BuzzFeed’s latest Social Intelligence Report describes Reddit as “a monster for traffic referrals,” while arguing that Pinterest may be little more than a “social gimmick.”
“In July, Reddit set a new page views record, topping 3.1 billion for the month,” reports Adweek. “Yet even more impressive is the jump that publishers in the BuzzFeed Network saw in Reddit referrals, which increased by 64 percent from June to July.”
“The report also shows that StumbleUpon, the long-reigning king of traffic referrals to the network, continues to fall, which suggests that Reddit’s socially sharable content may be taking users away from the browsing platform.”
About 114,000 referrals came from Pinterest, according to the report, significantly below the service’s 400,000-referral peak in April.
“Things aren’t all gloomy for Pinterest though,” notes Adweek. “The site has seen a 200 percent increase in referral traffic throughout its first full year of public operation.”
The article suggests that online publishers and advertisers should note the referral trends as a crucial shift: “By a large margin, the success of content from sites like Reddit to generate referral traffic stems from how well it resonates on an emotional level with an audience.”
“The trend of publishers creating engaging content that understands and connects in a meaningful way with an audience may be a reaction to the previous, more robotic era of search-optimized content, but it has proven results to draw viewers as denizens of the Web exhibit a growing dependence on social networks,” concludes the post.
The development team at search engine Bing has created a new feature that allows users to browse friends’ Facebook photo albums and search for specific images via keywords.
“Called the Friends’ Photo feature, any Facebook user can visit www.bing.com/friendsphotos and log into Facebook in order to enable access to photo albums,” reports Digital Trends. “The most recent photos posted by your friends will appear in a large thumbnail format on the screen similar to the layout of Pinterest.”
“Each photo can be clicked to open up a version at a larger resolution,” notes the post. “In addition, comments about the photo are loaded on the right side of the page. The user has the ability to add a comment, like or share the photo as well as open up the photo on Facebook.”
While the real advantage to this functionality on Bing is the search bar, it is worth noting that a successful search via keywords is reliant upon effective tagging and adequate descriptions.
“According to Bing, the Friends’ Photo feature doesn’t work with Facebook users that have blocked photos from being accessed by third-party applications,” explains the post. “Facebook users can edit this setting by visiting the Privacy Settings page and clicking on ‘Edit Settings’ in the ‘Ads, Apps and Websites’ row.”
Facebook doesn’t run a mobile operating system, thus it has no alliance to a specific platform. So when it was deciding how best to push apps to all devices, it opted for HTML5 over building numerous platform-specific apps.
“With that one decision — which makes sense when you think about the various pluses and minuses of the different options — it made its original Facebook app perhaps the most hated mobile app ever,” opines Eric Jackson of The Street.
Just as HTML “allowed one common language to proliferate” in the early days of the Web, “HTML5 and its advocates believed the same thing would happen in the mobile Internet,” the article explains.
“Mobile developers wouldn’t want to do all the work to build different versions of the same mobile apps. So they’d all opt for HTML5 as a programming language.”
But in Facebook’s case, the app turned out buggy and slow, often crashing. While HTML5 seemed like a good decision — and could be the best option in the future — it failed for Facebook in the present. And it took years to fix that mistake.
The post suggests the bad app not only frustrated users, but also caused the social giant to lose mobile momentum while its rival Twitter took off.
While Windows 8 is receiving high praise for its tablet experience, “many feel that the operating system’s ‘Modern-style’ UI makes life more difficult for PC users,” according to a Laptop review.
Usability expert Raluca Budiu of the Nielsen Norman Group “has used the new OS enough to conclude that, for productivity tasks on the PC at least, Windows 8 is less user friendly than its predecessors,” notes the review.
“Windows 8 is optimized for content consumption rather than content production and multitasking,” says Budiu. “Whereas content consumption can easily be done on other media (tablets and phones), production and multitasking are still best suited for PCs. Windows 8 appears to ignore that.”
Budiu goes into further detail throughout the Q&A, explaining her issues with start-up menus, displays and functionality.
“Users will need to remember two different interfaces,” she notes. “They will learn Windows 8, but won’t be able to forget Windows 7. And they will need to keep track of which app goes with each framework. [It’s] definitely a cognitive burden, but not an insurmountable one.”
Nokia has scheduled a September 5th launch event to debut its new Windows Phone 8 devices. For those who can’t wait, a set of photos has been leaked that are rumored to be the new phones.
“Reportedly named the Lumia 820 and the Lumia 920 with PureView, photos of the latest Nokia phones have appeared on a random Twitter account called evleaks,” reports Digital Trends. “Possibly a stunt by Nokia’s own PR team or the work of a rather sneaky individual, the photos showcase a pair of gorgeous new smartphones.”
If the photos are accurate, the two Lumia devices will feature “the boldly colored, polycarbonate design of Nokia’s original Windows Phone 7.5 offerings,” a 4.3-inch screen for the 820 and 4.5-inch screen for the 920, PureView camera technology and Carl Zeiss optical lenses.
“We’re really hoping these leaks turn out to be the real thing,” notes Digital Trends. “An LTE-equipped smartphone sporting PureView technology is exactly what Windows Phone needs right now, a device to compete with other flagships. Add Nokia’s brand recognition, useful applications, and sharp design and Windows Phone 8 may just be able to take its place beside iOS and Android.”
In a related report from Reuters, “Samsung Electronics became the first handset maker to announce a smartphone using Microsoft’s latest mobile software, making its surprise, hurried announcement just days before the highly anticipated launch of Nokia’s version.”
Samsung’s brief announcement at Berlin’s IFA show regarding the new ATIV S Windows phone — with a 4.8-inch display, 8-megapixel rear camera and Corning Gorilla glass — “comes amid expectations that smartphone makers may turn increasingly to Windows devices after a U.S. jury decided many of Samsung’s Google Android-based phones infringed Apple Inc. patents,” suggests Reuters.
Chinese consumer electronics company Haier demonstrated its Eye-Control TV at the IFA show.
“To use the set, you sit in front of a black rectangular sensor positioned at chest height,” reports Engadget. “There’s some calibration involved when moving from person to person, chasing a circle around the screen with your eyes. Once calibrated, you’re good to go.”
The user’s eyes move up and down and/or blink in order to change channels, adjust volume and perform other basic television controls. Eye movements are also used to access and navigate the user interface featuring pictures of videos.
“The use of pictures certainly seems the most intuitive method for navigating around videos — there’s a definite learning curve here, and it’s hard enough to select pictures — we couldn’t really imagine toggling through small text,” notes the post.
“This doesn’t feel quite ready for market — it’s a compelling concept, nonetheless,” suggests Engadget. “And using the human eye to control a display that you’re already staring at anyway does seem to have some merits.”
The post includes a 2-minute video demo of the retina-controlled system from the IFA show floor.
At the IFA show, Windows-enabled devices are changing the image of traditional PCs to take advantage of the new hybrid operating system.
“First are the straight tablets, which are primarily intended for use by themselves but often come with keyboard docks or cases. Second are the convertible PCs, which are basically Ultrabooks that fold down into thick tablets as necessary. Third are the standard PCs that have some sort of token touch support built-in — this takes the form of laptops or all-in-ones with capacitive touchscreens,” reports Ars Technica.
Sony showcased its Vaio 11 Duo convertible PC that can be used as a tablet with a stylus and digitizer for handwritten input. “Despite being a convertible, the computer sacrifices some of its utility as a laptop to be a better tablet — the keyboard looks cramped, and it forgoes a standard trackpad in favor of a pointing stick-style mouse,” explains the article. Sony also showed its 20-inch Tap 20 all-in-one with a kickstand, which can be used as a giant tablet.
Samsung promoted the Series 5 Ultrabooks featuring touchscreens, the Series 5 and 7 all-in-ones with “Samsung’s ill-advised ‘Start Menu’ simulacrum,” and the Series 5 Slate with optional keyboard dock.
Asus brings the Vivo Tab with an Intel version including a stylus, Wacom digitizer, and keyboard dock with extra USB ports, trackpad and added battery life. The company’s UX21A Touch ultrabook adds a touchscreen.
Dell’s new XPS Duo 12 convertible PC has gotten some attention online for its interesting design; it has “a 12-inch 1080p LCD that you flip over before closing the lid to put it into tablet mode — there are magnets that keep the screen in place when it isn’t being flipped,” the article states.
Toshiba presented its Satellite U925t convertible Ultrabook and has two existing computers upgrading to Windows 8 touch.
At IFA 2012, Panasonic featured its 145-inch 8K plasma display panel that boasts image quality 16 times that of regular full HD.
“Developed in partnership with Japan’s NHK, the prototype is merely a proof of concept for the broadcaster’s planned 2020 launch of Super Hi Vision TV,” reports Engadget.
According to this review, the screen is “truly awe-inspiring,” with rich detail and no discernible pixels in view. No release date has been announced, but it’ll be a long while before this screen gets to mass market.
In a related post, Engadget reports that Panasonic also showed its new 103-inch demonstration display at IFA.
The plasma panel offers 3D to up to five different viewers, so long as they’re in the correct visual sweet spot. It is glasses-free with a 4K2K screen. Although the colors don’t quite pop when compared to Panasonic’s 145-inch 8K display, it’s still impressive, according to Engadget.
The posts include video and images from the Panasonic booth at IFA.
LG’s 55-inch OLED TV made its debut at last year’s CES in Las Vegas. It’s back at the IFA show in Berlin, but this time with 3D capability.
The sleek, 4-millimeter screen, complete with carbon fiber backing “looked great,” notes Engadget.
“At 55 inches, it’s no goliath compared to the 84-inch TVs we’ve seen this week from Sony, Toshiba and even LG, but the company claims this 55-inch model is the largest OLED HDTV available,” explains the post.
In related news, Engadget reports that LG touted some big products at IFA, including an 84-inch UD 3DTV and the 55-inch OLED HDTV, but it also has smaller items in its arsenal, like the 29-inch EA93.
“The company announced its 21:9 aspect ratio monitor, the 29-inch EA93, just prior to IFA. The IPS monitor boasts a WQHD resolution (2,560 x 1,080 pixels) and supports four-way split-screen view,” details Engadget.
The wide-screen aspect ratio is the same found in a movie theater, making this screen an ideal choice for viewing Blu-ray discs.
Both posts feature videos and slideshows form the LG booth at IFA.
LG, Philips and Toshiba are among the manufacturers working together on a common system for Internet-connected TVs.
At the IFA show in Berlin, manufacturers addressed “banding together to develop a common system that allows users to listen to music, watch videos and play games via the Internet on TV sets,” reports Bloomberg.
The companies are concerned about Apple and Google, which have made product forays into the online TV market. Additionally, Apple is rumored to be readying a new TV product.
“Apple and Google’s rise in the smartphone market has pushed Nokia and Research In Motion Ltd. to the brink,” notes Bloomberg. “Now, television makers are scrambling to make sure the same won’t happen to them.”
Meanwhile, Sony is betting on its 84-inch LCD TV that will feature 4K horizontal resolution, due in stores later this year.
“While current high-definition TVs have screens with 1,920 pixels by 1,080 pixels, the new TV has a screen with 3,840 pixels by 2,160 pixels,” reports Computerworld in a related article.
Since there will be a wait for native 4K content, Sony’s new set features an upscaler that will convert existing high-def images to 4K resolution through a software algorithm.
Three major book publishers are paying out $69 million to consumers after allegedly conspiring with Apple to fix the price of e-books.
Simon & Schuster, Hachette and HarperCollins have reached a settlement with 49 U.S. state governments (all except Minnesota) as well as 5 U.S. territories. If the court accepts the deal, consumers in those areas will be reimbursed $0.25 to $1.32 for every e-book they purchased between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012.
“The publishers will also put aside $7.6 million to compensate the states for investigation and attorneys’ costs and an additional $750,000 each to pay for the notification process,” which includes Google and Facebook ads, reports paidContent.
Publishers Penguin and Macmillan are still holding out along with Apple, but the states are pursuing another lawsuit against the companies. In the mean time, the other three publishers will compensate all e-book customers.
“Even though only three of the five accused publishers are part of the deal, publishers who bought an e-book from any one of the five will be compensated. The office of Connecticut’s attorney general said by email that this is because any conspirator is responsible for the actions of a co-conspirator,” the article concludes.
U.S. consumers spend around $360 a year on e-books and MP3 files, according to e-commerce company Bango.
Over the years, that investment can add up to thousands of valuable content files. As of today, those files will essentially be lost when a person passes away because intellectual property law doesn’t have a way to transfer licensing rights.
“Part of the problem is that with digital content, one doesn’t have the same rights as with print books and CDs,” explains SmartMoney. “Customers own a license to use the digital files — but they don’t actually own them. Apple and Amazon grant ‘nontransferable’ rights to use content.”
“The law is light years away from catching up with the types of assets we have in the 21st Century,” says Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss, an estate planning attorney. Lecturer and researcher Dazza Greenwood agrees: “We need to reform and update intellectual property law.”
Now that much of consumers’ assets are digital, losing that content at their death means losing significant value. Relatives can possibly access the content using their loved one’s devices, but passwords can be restrictive and there isn’t always an easy way to divide up assets.
Attorney David Goldman hopes to set up a legal trust for people’s online accounts, which differs from mere online safe-deposit boxes.
“Having access to digital content and having the legal right to use it are two totally different things,” he says. “With traditional estate planning and wills, there’s no way to give the right to someone to access this kind of information after you’re gone.”
A new patent suggests Amazon’s future Kindles could feature both an e-ink and an LCD display — one on either side of the tablet, both touch-enabled.
“The e-commerce giant has been awarded a patent where e-ink and LCD would work together — one display would be static for reading, while the LCD would be optimized for video watching,” reports Mashable. “The patent filing states that it would make use of the device’s front and rear-facing cameras to determine which side to display content.”
“A device might alternatively utilize at least one camera to determine which side of the device is facing the user, and might activate the display on that side of the device to convey content,” notes the patent. “A device might display notifications on an edge of the device, such that a current orientation of the device might be less important.”
According to the filing, the dual-screen concept may actually lengthen battery life by deferring to e-ink when slow- to non-moving content is displayed.
Amazon is planning a press event in Los Angeles for September 6, and is expected to launch its next-gen Kindle e-reader and Kindle Fire.
An April ruling set the precedent that all tweets belong to Twitter and users have no privacy rights in their Twitter accounts. This week, Twitter filed an appeal. GigaOM reports the main arguments of the appeal:
“Twitter users have a property right in the content they post (citing a case in which a photographer posted a Haiti earthquake photo to Twitter).”
“Twitter users should have the same right to challenge subpoenas as Gmail users.”
“Twitter users have a Fourth Amendment privacy right in their accounts.”
“The judge made an error by ruling that all of Harris’ tweets, including the deleted ones, were public.”
The case referenced in the fourth argument above centers on Occupy Wall Street protestor Malcolm Harris who was arrested after his Twitter information was subpoenaed. Judge Matthew Sciarrino Jr. rejected efforts to quash the subpoena. He likened Twitter to shouting on the street, saying “the street is an online, information superhighway, and the witnesses can be the third party providers like Twitter, Facebook, Instragram, Pinterest.”
The ACLU has vowed support for Twitter’s appeal: “Under the First and Fourth Amendments, we have the right to speak freely on the Internet, safe in the knowledge that the government can’t get information about our speech without a warrant and without satisfying First Amendment scrutiny.”
Musician Jack Kennedy recently explored parts of Europe, Thailand and Israel. Toward the end of his trip, he spent a month in Morocco recording music by Berber tribesmen.
“Now he is taking the same nomadic approach to capture bits of American culture for his Web show, NightBus Radio,” reports Wired. “It’s like what they did in Jack Kerouac’s novel ‘Dharma Bums,’ except nobody hitchhikes anymore,” says Kennedy. “This is kind of the next step up.”
Kennedy has no real plan of where he will go, who he will interview or what will come of the show. He uses fan suggestions from Twitter and Facebook to direct him across the nation. The article describes him as a modern-day Alan Lomax.
“Yesterday, this girl from Alabama named Rachel Saul came in to the hostel I’m staying at. She had a guitar and started singing,” explains Kennedy. “She had this amazing voice and an interesting story, so I just quickly got out my microphone and started recording her.”
This type of story epitomizes Kennedy’s journey, as he hopes his travels will spontaenously bring him to talented and interesting individuals. SoundCloud, the Berlin-based audio-sharing platform, is funding part of the project with one of its 15 Community Fellowships.
Kennedy has placed faith in his loyal followers, as his trip relies on his use of “mainly Facebook and Twitter where people can send me messages like, ‘I know this supertalented guy, you should meet up with him.'” He elaborates that after “you meet a core group of musicians in a town, you can get to the heart of the music scene.”
