Cyberthieves enter a new frontier

As today’s society continues to turn more mobile, cyberthieves are not far behind. They realize that most of today’s population leans more towards mobile phone (smartphones) or mobile devices to communicate. Young men are becoming their target because on average, men between the ages of 18 and 31 spend 49 hours a week online. They are nicknamed the “millennium males”. 

They say, that the android operating system that google created, which runs on various different types of phones and tablets is vulnerable to cybertheft, and people should be careful of what they are using it for. A lot of the problems are coming from third party marketplaces posting apps, and once they are downloaded on someone’s device, they can start having problems because these aren’t monitored as carefully. Now that most consumers of mobile devices and smartphones are using them for things such as online shopping, email, online banking, etc, they should be aware of the risks and careful when posting personal information online. 

I thought that this was an interesting article because of the relevancy in today’s society. Everything is done over the internet, and a lot of people don’t understand that there are a lot of risks involved with that. I think it’s important for people to realize that things over the internet are not private - they must be coming from a trusted source. Cyberthief is becoming more and more popular, and can lead to other things such as identity theft.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/tech-news/cyberthieves-enter-a-new-frontier---mobile-devices/article2263982/

RIM has been going through so many problems lately, but they are keeping the biggest market share in Canada for smart phones. RIM has been watching the numbers a lot lately, and are noticing that android’s and apple phones are close behind, and that they cannot afford any more system glitches that affect all of their consumers at once. 40% of consumers own a smartphone, when looking at shares of each company (ie. android, apple, and RIM) each company has shown a lot of growth and are all working to make more sales.

I think that this gives RIM hope, they have 35.8 percent of smartphone users. I think that a lot of blackberry users have faith in what RIM can do, and it is possible for the company to turn things around for their consumers.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/canada-still-a-blackberry-nation/article2255856/

India Asks Facebook to Screen User Content

The government in India has asked social networking sites such as Facebook to prescreen all user content and remove “disparaging, inflammatory or defamatory content” before it gets posted.

There have been several posts on social media cites that are considered “unacceptable” to the indian government. These pages are posting things that are talking about the president  in a negative context. The president is wanting there to be a screening process to monitor what is being put into the public mind about him and his political party. He was expecting them to use humans to monitor the cites and no a form of technology screening. 

The three companies that the indian government have approached about the problem with content going up onto their websites, are prepared to tell the indian government that based on how much content is user generated in today’s society there is no real way to monitor everything that gets posted.

This is becoming a problem for many other governments. Content control is nearly impossible to keep under control with the use of social networking tools in today’s society.

http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/india-asks-google-facebook-others-to-screen-user-content/?ref=technology

Courts bar RIM form using BBX trademark

A software company in New York has had BBX as a trademark, and the US court system has filed a restraining order temporarily against RIM, which states that they are not able to use this any longer. This is tight timing for RIMm they are at a DevCon in Singapore today (dec. 7th) and tomorrow where they were planning to announce their new smartphone platform as BBX. Luckily, RIM has thought quickly, and today will be announcing their new line of blackberry’s as “Blackberry 10”. BBX is the new operating system that RIM was planning on launching with their new line of Blackberry’s, apparently Basis International has had this trademarked, and has threated to take legal action against RIM before if they do not stop using it. RIM refused, which is why Basis International has filed for the restraining order against them. 

Apple to lose iPad Trademark in China

Apple is currently facing a $1.6 billion lawsuit. Proview Technology Inc. (PTI), a Shenzhen company, is claiming that Apple is guilty of copyright infringement for PTI’s trademarked “iPad” name associated with a product of their own.
Apple rebutted with the argument that when they had purchased the right to the “iPad” name from PTI global last year that the trademark included China in this deal.
Apparently this is not the first case where Apple has been charged with trademark conflicts. In 2007, the iPhone ran into the same issues Comwave Telecom Inc., an internet telephone service company based in Toronto.
So, although this is nothing new, it has real potential to set Apple at a significant disadvantage as they try to “establish a foothold in the world’s largest marketplace”. It will be interesting to see how this will play out as Apple is such a globally recognized company and the iPad is their newest product.

http://business.financialpost.com/2011/12/06/apple-to-lose-ipad-trademark-in-china-report/

Twitter Working to Improve Security

Twitter has taken on a “start-up” software company, called Whisper Systems. They create software that will increase security and privacy for twitter when using with smart-phones and other mobile devices. Whisper Systems was created last year by two security experts, and is excited about creating software to protect microblogging via twitter. 

Twitter published a statement on monday saying “The Whisper Systems team is joining Twitter starting today. As part of our fast-growing engineering team, they will be bringing their technology and security expertise to Twitter’s products and services. We’re happy to have Moxie and Stuart onboard”. Twitter has rapidly grown in the last year, they have more then 100 million active users. Twitter has been adapted by several different group of people, it has become a vital communication tool for celebrities, businesses, and politicians - as well as student groups, and schools are starting to adapt to using twitter as a main method of communications. 

As much as any other online communication tool, the users are worried about their privacy and security online. Whisper Systems is there to ensure that mobile twitter users are able to trust the company, and are able to use the twitter apps, and twitter via web without much worry of someone hacking into their information.

I think that this was a good decision for twitter to bring on these two experts, but I think users should still be aware of the risk that everyone takes by posting things online. It will stay with you forever and you want to ensure that it is information that you want available to the world.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/mobile-technology/twitter-acquires-mobile-security-start-up-whisper-systems/article2252299/

RIM Disappointments

I just wanted to add to what Natasha had to say regarding the current problems that RIM is having with their sales/products.


As natasha touched on RIM thought that their launch of brand new blackberry’s last august would be able to keep them going through their fourth fiscal quarter (which covers christmas this year). They have had to make adjustments to how they think there numbers will be reflected in the coming months. Over the last year, RIM has had to adjust their numbers lower for the third time. RIM is Canada’s largest technology company, and this has affected their stock very negatively. 


They have had to get external analyst come in and figure out if there is anything that they could be doing better - each time that this has happened the analyst have questioned the role of the CEO’s and how they are directing the company. It is becoming a close call, to whether or not Blackberry/RIM is going to be able to recover from their recent troubles. Their shipment numbers have declined and continue to do so, based on their previous years numbers. 

I think that although RIM has been going through a hard time, and by the sounds of things won’t last for that much longer as a primary share of the mobile market, I don’t think that Blackberry’s will go away. They are too relevant to a lot of people’s everyday lives. When comparing blackberry to iphones, form a personal perspective, I think that they both have their advantages and disadvantages, but I believe that it is mostly based on what you use it for and the lifestyle that you need a smartphone for. Personally, I think Blackberry is a better fit for what I use my phone for. I have my fingers crossed that RIM will be able to recover.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/rim-finds-new-ways-to-disappoint-investors/article2257745/?from=sec431

Google to Compete with Amazon?

Google rules the online search world with services such as Google Finance, Google Earth, and Google Books. Its next plan of action is to take on the online shopping king, Amazon and compete in the world of internet retailing.

Google has been negotiating partnerships with some major retailers (speculations include Macy’s and GAP) to offer customers a new online shopping option where they would receive their orders within 24 hours. They hope to launch the service within the next year.

This is no new rivalry however. Google and Amazon have been competing for some time now, both offering customers e-readers and e-books.

There have been some concerns regarding Amazons strong customer following, however Google has “responded by beefing up its product-search service, adding user ratings and reviews, as well as showing shoppers whether some inventory is available for pickup in nearby stores. Last year, Google also launched special visual-recognition technology to help shoppers find apparel, or ‘soft goods’.”

This new shopping system has great potential, especially with its unique and appealing 24-hour delivery promise (other providers have tried this and failed, but Google is confident as it would be partnering with several companies, including United Parcel Service) and could prove to be a worthy candidate against the big names in online retailing.

Read more at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204012004577072323400561792.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_RightMostPopular

Wal-Mart launches social networking shopping app

On Wednesday the world's largest retailer launched a new social networking application called "Shopycat". Shopycat uses data on Facebook to estimate a users top ten friends, and then recommends gifts for these friends, based on the information shared on Facebook. Facebook is able to see the interests and hobbies of these friends by analyzing the information they share online. The program also allows for users to search for a topic and then Shopycat will display the friends who have a connection to this particular topic and the gifts that are recommended for them.

This application could not come at a better time with Christmas just around the corner, but it does also bring a concern about the information being shared over Facebook and getting monitored without the users consent. In our group presentation last week, we shared some cases where users information that was shared online was used against them and hampered with. It will be interesting to see how many consumers will choose to use this application and how accurate the gifts recommended will be for the individual. In some ways this application takes away the sentimental value of giving a gift to someone that was well thought-out, but who knows maybe this application will be a hit this Christmas!

View Article:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/digital-culture/social-networking/wal-mart-launches-social-network-shopping-app/article2256347/

Self-Serve Advertising Now Available on Twitter

Twitter recently launched a self-serve option for its ad platform. It’s still in the beginning stages and only available to select buyers, but Twitter is in the process of expanding the platform in order to be able and cater to a wider range. This is just one more step towards Twitter becoming a big gun like its worthy competitor Facebook.
Twitters PR rep, Matt Graves, commented saying, “Last month, Twitter began testing self-service advertising with a handful of existing advertisers. These advertisers can now set up and run their own Promoted Products campaigns and pay via a credit card. This is an important step in continuing to grow Twitter’s business. Our Promoted Products can help small and medium-sized businesses build their audience on Twitter and better engage with the people they want to reach. As with all of our advertising efforts, we’re starting small, testing carefully and making improvements as we learn what works. We will slowly roll this capability out to more advertisers in the coming weeks and months.”
Although some people have been patiently waiting on this for quite some time, it’s actually a huge milestone for Twitter as it tries to reach the $8 billion mark.

http://allthingsd.com/20111201/twitter-quietly-finally-launches-self-serve-ads/

RIM continues to disappoint

RIM continues to disappoint investors. Although their new tablet sales have been rising, the sales of their new smartphones are decreasing. The new smartphones that they launched in August were expected to increase sales dramatically setting up for the new software development named BBX that is expected to unveil in the new year. However, to RIM's disappointment, sales decreased where they are shipping fewer cell phones globally. Although the attempt to develop a new sleek device to surpass competitor sales, it was not more compelling then Apple's new 4s iphone or the new Androids. This devastating loss can be illustrated by their American market share. Their smartphone market share has slumped to a mere 9% from 24% earlier this year. The support staff of RIM still remain hopeful that sales will turn around in the near future. They are working meticulously hard to ensure they see this happen. View the image that represents RIM stock price above.

It is crazy how RIM sales were skyrocketing in every continent. Now, due to small glitches here and there, they are witnessing such a profound plummet that many individuals are beginning to doubt their ability. It is crazy how large the networking world has transitioned its way into smartphones and now individuals are able to connect with friends, business partners, and peers around the world through their device. Social networking is so important today, but do you think social networking's success could plummet like RIM's?

Nokia Lumia Launch Party

Nokia and Deadamu5 Illuminate the Millbank Tower in London

Talk about 4-D technology! This past week on November 28th, Nokia held a launch party for their new Phone the Lumia 800, an "Easier, Faster, Funner," Phone that they recently launched in the U.K.

This product launch party blew any other ones I've seen right out of the water. Deadmau5, one of the world's leading DJ's played a live music set while the Millbank tower was turned into a 4-D platform with HD graphics. To create the projections, each of the buildings 800 windows were covered with vinyl,  while 16 projectors on the either side of the river beamed images on the the building.

It's one of those things you've got to check out yourself to believe!
Click this link to watch the performance launch party:  Deadmau5 and Nokia Lumia 800
Click this link to see the New Nokia Phone: Nokia Lumia 800

It's amazing the technology these days!

BBC Streaming Live to iPad

Canadian iPad users can now bring a little British charm into their very own homes. BBC just signed a deal with Apple for an app that allows users to watch limited streaming for no charge (or if they pay $8.99/month they can watch over 1,500 hours of on-demand videos).
There’s been some speculation as to whether or not this new app will be in competition with the Netflix app. However, the BBC executive vice president put the rumors to rest saying, “Netflix is a very different type of service, it is very broad. It offers tens of thousands of titles across several genres, whereas [iPlayer] is a branded service where we aggregate a very deep type of content; TV content as opposed to film. Netflix is a different experience, so I’m not really concerned as there isn’t a particularly large demographic overlap.”
In terms of future plans, the BBC would like to one day expand from just the iPlayer to the iPhone as well. Although sticking with iPlayer (and eventually iPhone) is a fairly small market, executives at BBC believe that this will not be the case for long. Over half the tablet users in Canada use iPad (projected to be about 1 million by the end of the year). A rep from BBC was quoted on this subject saying, “It is still early days in terms of the number of people who actually own a media tablet today,” she said, noting dropping prices as low as $200 is expanding Canada’s addressable tablet market. “That becomes increasingly relevant when someone like the BBC launches an app.”
Kind of exciting to see the new apps that are becoming available to smartphone and tablet users, no?


http://business.financialpost.com/2011/12/01/bbc-launches-iplayer-for-ipad-in-canada/

Facebook Targets Huge Initial Public Offering

Those who have been waiting in anticipation can sleep at night once again. Facebook is finally in the works of proposing an IPO this upcoming April (said to be one the largest ever). If successful this will set the value of the company to a whopping $100 billion.
However, some are already skeptical due to the recent trend in crashes of similar services. For example, professional networking site LinkedIn has seen a 36% decrease since in its IPO price since May. Facebook executives remain confident though as they will be entering the IPO with $4 billion in revenue, setting the bar quite high (usually companies opt for an IPO after they have made $1 million in revenue).

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203935604577066773790883672.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_RightMostPopular

Canadian Online 'Black Friday'!

This past weekend, US citizens celebrated Black Friday. This one day of amazing deals has been claimed as the busiest shopping day of the year! Instead of Canada trying to cross boarders to set up new stores in the US to partake in Black Friday, they can instead partake in Online Black Friday. On this particular day, Canadian stores offer all kinds of online deals that mirror the discounting at US outlets. Customers will not have to travel to the US for a one day shopping trip. Online shopping is a more efficient and worry free method that customers prefer today. Individuals can order items online through various Canadian outlets at a discounted price. This can help boost sales for Canadian outlets, and increase awareness and generate revenues, especially during this economy. Canadians buying products within the country are also less likely to run into extra costs such as cross borders taxes, tariffs, etc. This will also decrease the worry of warranty and return policies.

The e-commerce industry is growing today and has a large impact on today's society. Shopping over the internet is an easy method for customers to utilize and helps company's generate extra revenue (Especially on special occasions like Black Friday). Most importantly, online shopping is only a click away!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/start-with-canadian-sites-experts-tell-online-shoppers/article2248445/

Google's Youtube and Walt Disney Partner Up!

This partnership was announce at the beginning of the month. Disney and Youtube are coming together in the effort to provide more original content to online users. Disney is working to re-launch their disney.com in the fall of 2012, and are looking forward to having youtube as a partner to expand the online audience that they already have. 

Disney’s videos and current programs will be available through their website, and youtube. This is a great move for youtube, because they have trying to keep their offerings of original content online.

Youtube and Disney plan to spend 10-15 million on providing their original video series content through online streaming to customers. Disney is aware that although their brand is very established, it is not strong enough to bring in enough kid audience who are looking for online videos. They are very excited about partnering up with youtube and the opportunities that this could bring to their business. They both believe that this will increase “viewership” and attract a lot of new advertisers.

They plan to have Walt Disney in charge of all producing, while youtube will form a “Disney Channel” on their website where the original content can be streamed from. Disney has been working hard over the years to make an online platform where kids - their target audience- can go to get their products. Both companies see this partnership as beneficial to them, youtube is looking forward to seeing new audiences come in once Disney is onboard. Disney will be splitting its revenue with youtube, and selling all advertisement inventory as well.

I think that this is an interesting partnership, and will in turn be successful. With the reputation that both of these companies hold, it will bring an interesting aspect to the online community for Disney. This is a great way for Disney to show that it is trying to always be evolving with  today’s society, and our technological advances that we bring to every industry.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/tech-news/youtube-teams-with-disney-for-family-friendly-video-channel/article2228000/

http://www.yousaytoo.com/mmedia-biggies-disney-and-youtube-together-in-a-video-deal/1379107

Social Media Survey

Hey Guys,

I am doing my final report on whether or not social media is a positive force for social change.

If you have a moment any feedback would help, please fill out the survey by following the link below.

Social Media Survey

Thanks!

Jen

Man sentenced to 20 years for text msg insulting Thai queen

Government all over the world is becoming increasing strict on cyber and mobile phone bullying. There are more incidents in the news than ever about people committing suicide because they were victims of either cyber bullying or received harsh words through text messaging. Regulations worldwide have recently been put into place to help minimize the use of the technology available in a negative way.

I found this article on the Globe and Mail that discussed a 61-year- old man in Thailand who was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison for sending text messages that were offensive to the country's queen. The court stated this man sent offensive text messages in May 2010 to a personal secretary of then prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The 61-year-old man is charged with "Lese majeste" which is the crime of insulting a monarch.

This article demonstrates the seriousness of these offences, and I was shocked that words stated in a text message could result in 20 years in prison! Words are as serious as physical actions now a days.

Very important to always watch what you say and do because almost everything can be traced back to you.

Increasing Tuition in Canada, Good Idea?

Last class, we had a presentation on education, and part of the presentation covered free education, like the Khan Academy. I found an interesting video on the Globe and Mail that countered free education: increasing tuition across Canada. They believe that a higher tuition help and benefit less affluent students. How could this be? James Bradshaw, the education reporter for the Globe, claims that current tuition costs average around $6000 per term. This price is MUCH lower then private education offered in the states. Moreover, he says that affluent students have no problem paying this fee, which benefits them, and has no beneficial effect on less affluents students. The suggestion?

Doubling education tuition to around $12000 per term will still not harm those affluent students (they will still be able to afford their tuition with ease) however this will create a better income base financial aid system for less affluent students. With a better financial aid system, those students will be able to take out bigger student loans with ease and potentially increase the ability to pay that loan back quicker. Moreover, with a higher education tuition, the schools can take that extra income and invest in a higher quality education system in Canada.

Although there is large debate over whether this will be beneficial or simply create a larger burden for students. In order to determine whether this is a sound proposition, there are questions that must be research, evaluated and answered:

Does the Canadian education system need improvement?

Will the increase in tuition truly benefit less affluent students?

Will the university student rate decrease due to education fees doubling?

These are just a few of the questions, there are MANY more.

What do you guys think? Check out the video below!

VIDEO!!!!

Social Media Turns Government into a “Sideshow”

With the fast-pace changes in today’s technology people involved with governments across the world are realizing that social media and social networking are becoming more and more important to global affairs, sometimes over government’s.

The things that are said over the internet almost become more important to society in some ways then what actually happens in the traditional governmental places. Governments are now working to use social media to their advantage when trying to come back from “tragedy”. Iceland being one of the country’s that has embraced the changes in technology and how significant it has become in today’s society have seen an amazing turn around after a crisis in 2008. 

In today’s world, I think it’s important for government, or people in authority, to take advantage of what the internet brings to the workplace, and to embrace the influence that it has on today’s societies. As everything moves towards social media, and internet use it’s crucial that governments are able to effectively use these tools as these are one of the fastest ways that information travels.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/21/tech/innovation/iceland-president-social-media/index.html

$60 tablet aims to bring Internet to developing world

Brothers Raja Singh Tuli and Suneet Singh Tuli are Canadian-raised entrepreneurs who own a company called DataWind. The Indian-born brothers have created the world’s cheapest tablet computer, which will be released in India within weeks and is planned to launch in the U.S and U.K in 2012. The Android-based tablet is called UbiSlate which will allow users to get internet access using existing low-speed cellphone networks, and will cost $2 a month for unlimited internet access. UbiSlate is designed to allow people living in the smallest villages in India have the ability to access the Internet and be connected. This device will hopefully create a solution for the problem that exits in emerging markets like Africa and Southeast Asia, which is a lack infrastructure and affordable products to allow for web access.

How the device works: UbiSlate has the technology that reduces the amount of data required to go on the Internet by 30 times. The device is solar powered, and has a small solar panel that generates about two watts of power a day (the sun in India is strong enough to fully charge the device). UbiSlate has a seven-inch touch screen, an Android 2.2 operating system, ability to play HD video, a built in cellular modem and two USB ports.

Why UbiSlate is so inexpensive: The device is run on low-speed cell-phone networks that are available everywhere, which allows them to buy the bandwidth at a low-price and sell it at a low cost. The company is also very “vertically integrated” which decreases their costs as well.

I personally think this tablet is a great way to connect those in the developing world, and is one step closer towards allowing those less fortunate to access information that can enhance their lives.

View Article: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2011/11/21/technology-datawind-ubislate.html

Dr. Smartphone?

We live in a world obsessed with the convenience of technology and the unending availability of information. The generation of smart phones has been upgraded once again and I think that this new breakthrough will definitely make a significant impact. Apple has taken the iPhone to the next level by designing an app called Proloquo2go. It uses pictographs to help patients that experience difficulties communicating (ex. those who have suffered a stroke). Medical health apps don’t stop here however. There is Bant, an app targeted towards diabetic teens that tests their blood sugar levels and tells them whether or not they need to increase/decrease their next insulin dose. There is also apps such as Epocrates, Medscape, or Micromedex that offer clinicians to access drug dosing, medical calculators, and clinical guidelines.

With the constant stream of breakthroughs in both the medical and technological world, is anyone concerned that smart phones one day replace doctors? Or would this be a good thing? Dr. James Aw writes that “[these] tools that improve doctor patient communication and empower patients are fantastic. But I’m a little wary of the robo-doc reference programs that are bringing us to a Star Trek-like present. Machines help, but humans think. The most valuable tools for any doctor are education, clinical experience and good old rational human judgment”. What are your thoughts?

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Paging+Smartphone/5672414/story.html

Google launches challenge to iTunes

This past Wednesday Google launched its digital music store, and will sell songs on the Andriod Market. This is the latest Google updated that helps them better compete with technology giant, Apple.  Google’s music store is offering 13 million tracks and the songs are priced very similar to the prices on iTunes, but Google is offering sharing of purchased songs through Google Plus. Once a song is downloaded it is uploaded into an “online locker” and friends will be able to listen to one another’s songs once for free. Google states that not only do they offer services that iTunes does not have, they offer cheaper services such as Google’s cloud storage service which is free, while Apple’s online song storage service costs users $25 a year.

 Do you think Google will be able to compete with Apple’s digital music store due to their special services such as “sharing music” with friends?

Are Ultrabooks the new Tablet?

In 2011, Tablets have been the talk of year. Do you think that 2012 can be the year for Ultrabooks? For those of you who do not know what an ultrabook is, it is an extremely lightweight laptop that is thin, long battery, and reasonably priced. Most are similar to the Mac Book Air laptop that is known for its lightweight and durability. Their popularity also comes from their pricing. Most average around $1000 which is what most consumers are expecting to pay where as most other laptops are around $1500.

In 2012, there is supposed to be 20-50 new models of ultrabooks coming out due to the exploding demand. As well, these new models will be sure to be faster, more reliable, and lighter then ever. Intel is also launching a new 'chip' that will be installed in all the ultrabooks that will reduce power consumption while improving performance. Some brands that have already debut their ultrabooks include Mac, Toshiba, Asus, Lenovo, and Acer.

However, despite the high rating of these computers, there has also been some negative media associated with them. Ultrabooks, like the MacBook Air are known not to last long and have a limited battery life.

What do you think? Are ultrabooks really the new tablet? The new Ipad?

Article: http://mashable.com/2011/11/18/ultrabooks-ces-2012/

SURVEY TIME

Hi GUYS!

I'm doing some market research for the individual project, so if you could do this survey it would be much appreciated!

THANKS!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T55WDNX

Blackberry To Unveil BBX

Shortly after Blackberry had major problems delivering their services to consumers all over the world, they have unveiled their next operating system, that they are hoping will make up for their loss of sales when revealing their Blackberry Playbook. BBX is considered a mix between Blackberry 7 and QNX OS, the operating system that is already running on the Playbook. Last time blackberry launched a new operating system, it was there most successful launch yet, and they have high hopes for the results once they launch BBX.

With all the problems blackberry has been facing, they have designed to come together as one company, and have aligned their whole company with one vision, based around the launch of BBX. Blackberry is attempting to “transform the tablet experience”. The president and CEO of Rim is stressing on the fact that BBX is presenting many opportunities that are made accessible for all consumers, including software development, game development, as well as everyday use.

Although blackberry has been having problems attracting consumers in recent months, developers are looking forward to using the first HTML 5 based WebGL. 

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2394879,00.asp#fbid=QkeOQX8Xv7e

Germany to sue Facebook over facial recognition

Earlier in the semester, I posted a blog post titled “Facebook’s Small Changes that Affects your Privacy”. The blog discussed Facebook’s new tagging features and the 3 dialogue box steps users now have to face when trying to un-tag a photo of them on Facebook. The blog also mentioned Facebook’s “facial- recognition system”, which recognizes faces of your friends and does the work for you. This system has not been implemented in Canada because Privacy Commissioner of Ontario is extremely against them system, along with other groups.

I wanted to share with you an article I came across today that was titled “Germany to sue Facebook over facial recognition”. Just like everyone probably expected this system has already spurred lawsuits. German data protection laws require companies to clearly inform users about how their personal information is being used. The Hamburg Data Protection Authority says Facebook did not inform it’s users when it began using facial recognition technology.

Facebook stated they would introduce a checkbox for users to accept terms and conditions about this system, and Facebook does not agree with the German authority because they state the tag suggestion feature is compliant with the E.U data protection laws. However, the checkbox would only be available for new users, which Germany felt was not a solution and is still looking into fining Facebook $407,000.

It will be interesting to see how this lawsuit turns out.

How would you feel if your face was recognized by this technology, and a photo you did not want tagged of yourself was tagged for everyone to see?

Full article: http://www.infoworld.com/d/the-industry-standard/germany-sue-facebook-over-facial-recognition-178787

Abuse of Personal Information

Last week we were talking about personal information management and I was able to find two interesting articles regarding this topic of interest. The first article talks about how companies can find out personal information regarding any individual on the internet. Joel Stein who had applied for a particular job received a call from the company who read his social security number to him. Not only did the company find out what his social security number was, but also found out what songs he likes, what magazines he subscribes to, his car warranty information, and much more. Through Google ads preferences, you can find out what type of individual Joel is, his age, height, weight, where he lives, how much money he makes, etc.

On another article I was reading, by spending 30 mins searching on Google, you can find out personal information on Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt. This destruction and readily available personal information would make anyone uncomfortable. If someone had access to the Google database, they could find out what people write in their personal emails and collect private information about anyone. This is how personal hackers get a hold of celebrity’s personal information and abuse that information.
Have you tried to search your own name on Google? What personal information have you found regarding yourself?

Articles:
http://news.cnet.com/2100-1032_3-5787483.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2058205,00.html

The Most Pirated Movies on the Internet

Recently in class we have discussed pirating movies, and downloading music on the internet. Students in class talked about the ways in which they purchased their music and movies, and whether they downloaded illegally, or purchase on Itunes. Torrent was the downloading service that seemed to be the most popular among the students in our class.

I found an interesting article that listed the most pirated movies on the internet and was surprised to see some of the movies on the list:

1. Avatar: 21 million downloads

2. The Dark Knight: 19 million downloads

3. Transformers: 19 million downloads

4. Inception: 18 million downloads

5. The Hangover: 17 million downloads

6. Star Trek: 16 million downloads

7. Kick-Ass: 15 million downloads

8. The Departed: 14 million downloads

9. The Incredible Hulk: 14 million downloads

10. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: 14 million downloads

This report was created by TorrentFreak a blog that tracks the downloads on the leading downloading site BitTorrent. It is clear that box-office hits are the movies that are most frequently downloaded, but I was shocked by some of the movies on this list such as The Hangover. I personally believe The Hangover is a movie targeted towards a particular demographic and was surprised to see that it was the 5th most pirated movie.

Could you imagine the increase in profits directors such as James Cameron would receive if the 21 million downloads, was instead 21 million purchases?

Article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/digital-culture/social-networking/the-most-pirated-movies-on-the-internet/article2209239/ 

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E-Book Industry

I was reading over Julia's Post of Google entering the e-book industry in Canada and I found some interesting stats on the e-book industry on the globe and mail. Digital readers are changing the traditional system of going to borrow books from their local library. Today, there is a wait list (Almost 50 ppl!) for several bestseller books from the Vancouver public library, in the e-version. Although several libraries have had e-version of books for nearly 10 yrs, it has recently became very popular. Although there are still online book websites like Amazon and public libraries, I think that Google's move to enter the Canadian e-book industry was very smart.

Although Google charges more then competitors, I don't think this will be a huge setback. I think because google is the largest search engine, I think that people who are searching for books, an e-version available to purchase will pop up automatically which will entice consumers to purchase a google e-book over searching for another e-book which can be time consuming. Take a look at youtube. After Google purchased youtube, searching topics on google would include results from youtube which helps individuals find exactly what they are looking for. Youtube has grown substantially over the last few years with the help and support of Google.

The e-book industry in Canada is booming, and I think that Google will be able to gain a large percent of the market.

View of the article:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/digital-readers-are-changing-the-traditional-library-system/article2136000/