Twitter is leveraging last year’s acquisition of music discovery service We Are Hunted to build a standalone music app. Twitter Music could be released on iOS as early as the end of this month, suggest insiders. The service will reportedly recommend artists and songs based on the accounts a user follows on Twitter. The music will be streamed to the app via SoundCloud. Continue reading Twitter Expected to Soon Launch Standalone Music App

Addressing the convergence of technology and Hollywood, two panel discussions at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas examined how filmmakers can market themselves to fans in the digital era and how tech companies can effectively pitch projects to Hollywood. The discussions addressed shifts in social media and its effects on making movies — in addition to a new focus on digital marketing. Continue reading SXSW Panels Address Technologies and Movie Marketing

Some cybersecurity experts say that Chinese hackers have invaded Hollywood’s computers, much like they did to the systems of Facebook, Apple, The New York Times and many others. The root of the problem, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is China’s contempt for intellectual property. In a country where most video and software is pirated, the culture of copying runs deep. Continue reading China Hacking Hollywood Computers, Say Security Experts

According to a study from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, which followed the privacy practices of 5,076 Facebook users over the course of six years, Facebook succeeded in reversing users’ inclination to avoid public disclosure over time. And even as some sought to keep personal data private from strangers by limiting what was available on their profiles, they increased what they shared with friends throughout the years. Continue reading Study Finds Increase in Willingness to Share on Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s co-founder and chief exec, unveiled a significant redesign of the social network’s homepage yesterday. During the news conference, Zuckerberg explained that he wants Facebook to be “the best personalized newspaper in the world,” with a more engaging “front page,” especially on mobile devices. The makeover is intended to fend off growing competition and attract advertisers. Continue reading Facebook Launches Redesign with More Engaging Front Page

Blake Ross, Facebook’s director of product, recently announced he’d be leaving the company. He posted a goodbye letter on his profile page saying, in essence, that he was leaving the company because youngsters no longer think the social network is cool. While there was an air of humor to his post, it also had some truth to it. He’s since taken down the letter, claiming it was posted publicly by accident. Continue reading Facebook No Longer the Social Network Du Jour for Teens?

Slowly but surely Facebook is developing and understanding its own strengths regarding its ability to compete within the online advertising world. And the social networking giant is actively looking for ways to gain more ground on the online ad powerhouse that Google has become. But the problem remains, how does Facebook prove its value to online advertisers? Continue reading Facebook Bolsters Ad Efforts, Looks to Compete with Google

According to Nielsen’s Vice Chair Susan Whiting, who was a part of a panel discussion analyzing disruption in traditional media usage at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Wednesday, consumers are not abandoning one platform for another. Instead, they’re spending more time than ever viewing and reading news and entertainment content, using mobile devices as an access point. Continue reading Mobile Activity on Upswing, Opens Doors for Mobile Ad Biz

Los Angeles and Israel-based startup Social Studios has teamed with actress Noa Tishby to produce an “Entertainment Tonight”-like show featuring videos, status updates and photos from users’ Facebook timelines. “Your Show,” which launched Monday night, gets information from a Facebook app that collects data from news feeds, mixes it with pre-produced segments with Tishby and creates seven-minute episodes. Continue reading Startup Launches TV Show Based on Your Facebook Timeline

Electronic Arts has created a new system that allows players to follow a single entity across multiple platforms including Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone, Facebook, and EA’s online gaming service, Origin. CEO John Riccitiello hopes the move will help the traditional retail game company transition to a multiplatform digital games entity. The move will also help EA track user habits and better shape future business models and strategies. Continue reading Electronic Arts: New Single Entity Gaming Across Platforms

Yahoo has redesigned its homepage with a greater focus on becoming “more intuitive and personal,” according to CEO Marissa Mayer. The redesign keeps Yahoo’s core of Mail, News, Finance and Sports on the left side of the screen, but has given the logos new looks. The homepage also eliminated its old links-in-boxes format and has replaced it with an infinite scroll format. Mayer hopes the changes will help return the brand to its place as an online leader. Continue reading Yahoo Streamlines Social Sharing with Homepage Redesign

According to Netflix, one in ten of its streaming subscribers have watched its exclusive drama “House of Cards.” On average, each of those viewers has taken in six to 13 episodes so far, of the 13 total available in season one – all of which was made available at one time. This delivery approach intended to capitalize on viewers’ desire to binge-watch entire seasons in short periods of time. Some see this distribution model as a risky proposition. Continue reading Distributing Entire TV Seasons All at Once Has Downsides

Technology predictions for 2013 are in and it’s all about mobile this year. According to comScore, the movement toward mobile is taking place everywhere from shopping to media to search — all of which combined could lead to a difficult economic transition for some companies as they struggle to stay ahead of rapidly changing consumer behavior. Continue reading Digital Future Report: Mobile Will Lead the Charge in 2013

Las Vegas could soon be facing competition from social networks and gaming companies. “Silicon Valley is betting that online gambling is its next billion-dollar business, with developers across the industry turning casual games into occasions for adults to wager,” reports The New York Times. The games are aimed at overseas markets for now, where attitudes and laws regarding gambling are more relaxed and very lucrative. Continue reading Will the Tech Industry Go All In for Online Gambling?

Tonight’s State of the Union Address will provide citizens with unprecedented access and interactivity. “When the President addresses the nation, the White House will provide something you can’t find anywhere else: an enhanced version of the speech that offers charts, facts and other info as the President speaks,” explains the White House blog. There will also be a wide variety of online streaming options and opportunities for social interaction. Continue reading White House Goes Digital with State of the Union Tonight