In the news...
Facebook simplifies privacy settings
Saturday 05 June 2010
Facebook - the world's leading social networking site, with over 400 million users - has unveiled simplified privacy controls . The move comes in the wake of continued criticism of its privacy policy, especially following several recent blunders.
Google completes AdMob acquisition
Monday 31 May 2010
It's over six months now since Google announced its plans to acquire the leading mobile ad network, AdMob . Last week, the search giant finally managed to close the deal. The news was revealed after the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) eventually approved the takeover, which it had been examining on antitrust grounds.
Google TV is on its way
Saturday 22 May 2010
Web giant Google is launching a service that will combine surfing the Internet with surfing TV channels. Google TV was announced by the company earlier this week at a meeting of software developers in San Francisco.
Google launches encrypted search engine
Tuesday 18 May 2010
Google has announced the launch of an encrypted version of its search engine in order to prevent search results being accessed over open connections. The move follows the company's decision to turn on encryption by default for Gmail users earlier this year and comes in the wake of controversy over breaches of privacy by its Street View service .
War of words develops between Adobe and Apple
Monday 17 May 2010
The gloves are off in the skirmish between Adobe and Apple. Last month's 'Thoughts on Flash' tirade against Adobe's beloved product by Apple CEO Steve Jobs has prompted an aggressive response from Adobe.
Skype launches group video calling
Saturday 15 May 2010
Free voice and two-way video calling provider Skype announced on Thursday that it has launched a group video calling service. Currently a beta version - which means that users might see a few rough edges and the software might not work perfectly every time - the Skype 5.0 beta for Windows is now available as a free download at www.skype.com .
Google adds brands to search results
Saturday 01 May 2010
Google is testing a search results box that places top brands above regular results for product-related searches. This brand information - which is neither an ad nor a normal search result - was first spotted by the Internet marketing news website, Search Engine Land.
Google highlights similar pages
Saturday 01 May 2010
On Tuesday of this week, Google revealed that it is making its 'Similar' feature - which shows alongside the URL in the search results - more prominent in its results pages. On the Official Google Blog, Software Engineer Doantam Phan explained: " We've offered a 'Similar' feature on results for a while now as a way to discover new, useful sites, but it hasn't been too visible.
LinkedIn adds Battle to its board
Friday 09 April 2010
Business networking site LinkedIn announced yesterday that it has added Skip Battle, the 66-year-old former CEO of Ask.com, to its board of directors. Battle - who is a current board member of several publicly listed Internet companies including Netflix Inc, Expedia Inc and OpenTable Inc - is the first independent director to join LinkedIn.
Apple takes aim at Google with the launch of iAds
Friday 09 April 2010
In a move that will have sent shivers down the spines of Google's top executives, Apple announced yesterday that it will deliver interactive, in-app advertising to iPods, iPads and iPhones this summer.
Tweaking the tweeting
Wednesday 31 March 2010
Microblogging site Twitter has unveiled a new-look homepage that's designed to be more inviting and user-friendly for new users and visitors unfamiliar with the site. Users who are not logged in will see the new homepage, which features more dynamic content including 'top tweets' that automatically appear every few seconds, a 'see who's here' panel highlighting famous people and brands that use Twitter and trending topics that scroll across the page.
Yahoo! accounts in China hacked
Wednesday 31 March 2010
According to news reports on Wednesday, the webmail accounts of foreign journalists based in China and Taiwan have been hacked. The BBC News website reported that the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China (FCCC) had confirmed eight cases of email attacks on Yahoo.
Facebook enhances its search
Monday 22 March 2010
Earlier last week, Facebook began rolling out improvements to its search experience. The social networking site seems increasingly focused on opening up data and this latest move may worry the guys at Mountain View a little further.
Facebook may start QR code frenzy
Friday 19 March 2010
The on-line media blogs have been buzzing this week with news that the social networking giant Facebook is trialling the use of QR (Quick Response) codes . Although they resemble barcodes, QR codes can carry significantly more data - such as links, videos, text, photos and other content - and they don't require a scanner to read them, as most modern mobile 'phones can do this using their cameras (hence the 'quick').
Facebook defends its safety policy
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Following the recent controversy over the Daily Mail's erroneous reporting of the dangers faced by under-18s using Facebook , the social networking site has defended its safety policy. The Daily Mail has admitted that its article, published in print and on line on Wednesday - in which it was claimed that young girls who join Facebook could be approached " within seconds " by older men who want " to perform a sex act " in front of them - was incorrect.
Google enables retail stock checking
Sunday 14 March 2010
Back in 2006 Google, along with Intuit and the Kelsey Group, described the future of retailing and the picture included the ability to check the stock levels of nearby stores as you shop. It may have taken a few years, but now it's a reality - in the US, at least.
Facebook threatens to sue Daily Mail
Saturday 13 March 2010
Facebook, the world's most popular social networking site (SNS) with 400 million users worldwide, has threatened to sue the UK's Daily Mail newspaper over an article that claimed that the site makes it easy for paedophiles to seduce under-18s.
Jail for US Facebook blackmailer
Thursday 04 March 2010
In a case that has gripped the American media, a teenage boy in Wisconsin has been handed a 15-year jail sentence after posing as a girl on the social networking site Facebook in order to blackmail male students into sex.
Cyber stalker finally jailed
Thursday 04 March 2010
A man branded one of Britain's most obsessive cyber stalkers by the tabloid press has been jailed for terrorising a female undergraduate for over two years. Jason Smith, from Newall Green, near Wythenshawe, was put behind bars last week after Manchester Magistrates Court heard how he had threatened 20-year-old Alexandra Scarlett and her family through social networking sites.
Developers told that Facebook Credits are imminent
Sunday 28 February 2010
A blog post Thursday on the Facebook Developers site announced that the social networking giant's virtual currency, Facebook Credits, is near to its official launch. In the post, Deborah Liu, a product marketer on the Facebook Developer Network team , explains the thinking behind the Facebook Credits concept: " The long-term goal of Facebook Credits is to provide a currency that makes purchasing virtual items across applications fast and simple.
Read also
Facebook simplifies privacy settings
Saturday 05 June 2010
Google completes AdMob acquisition
Monday 31 May 2010
Google TV is on its way
Saturday 22 May 2010