Amazon’s Kindle Fire may be a bigger deal than many were expecting, if J.P. Morgan’s about-turn on the device is anything to go by. Weeks after telling investors that the device was “noise” with a low price point that only reflected how much it lacked in terms of usability, the company is forecasting Kindle Fire sales of between 4.5 to 5 …
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Groupon Sues Former Employees Now Working for ‘Google Offers’
On the face of it, things look grim for Groupon right now. Its IPO offers a value around a third of what was originally expected, the Daily Deals business seems to be shrinking, and it’s facing multiple class action lawsuits from former employees. Luckily, it’s fighting back against bad fortune… by suing two former employees who are …
After Sesame Street, Microsoft’s YouTube Account Gets Hacked
Any Microsoft fans who were hoping to catch up with the company’s latest YouTube videos over the weekend would have been in for an unpleasant surprise: All of the videos had disappeared, replaced by five videos soliciting advertisers for the channel, along with a message that read “I DID NOTHING WRONG I SIMPLY SIGNED INTO MY ACCOUNT THAT …
Why Aren’t Women Tweeting About Occupy Wall Street?
Twitter is still the social media outlet of choice for Occupy Wall Street, but new analysis into the #OWS tweets has found a surprising gender imbalance in those who’re talking about the protests: Fewer women seem to be doing so, despite Twitter being a female-dominated service overall.
According to analysis by Attention released …
Groupon IPO Details: $16 per Share, $10.1 Billion Valuation
The subject of Groupon’s IPO has been much rumored and discussed in recent days, with sources suggesting earlier this week that the company’s value would be announced around $10 billion, down from an earlier $25 billion valuation. Turns out, that speculation was right on the money.
According to a new, detailed, report, Groupon will …
Online Campaign Aims to Stop Congress from Jailing Justin Bieber
An anti-piracy bill currently in Congress could, if passed, put Justin Bieber in jail for five years, according to a new online campaign against the bill. Clearly, this campaign has not considered that the idea may cause all manner of conflict for those who are pro-electronic freedom but anti-Bieber.
The bill, S.978, is one that …
Beware User Agreements: Who Actually Owns the Reddit Movie Pitch?
Earlier this week, I mentioned that Warner Bros. had purchased a movie pitch from a writer called James Erwin that had started life as a post on Reddit. Ignoring my cynicism over whether or not social media can ever make good movies or television, there’s one problem: What if Erwin didn’t actually own his idea?
The problem seems to be …
Diabetic? Cloud-Connected Ford Could Someday Save Your Life
Ford’s Microsoft-powered Sync system offers voice-activated control of music and navigation services, but the technology will be expanding to include health and wellness services in the not-too-distant future. On a rainy October day outside MIT’s Media Lab, I hopped in a cloud-connected Ford Explorer for a demonstration by Ford’s …
Now WordPress Will Allow You to Profit from Your Posts
Just a couple of days after Chime.in launched with the promise of allowing users to monetize their own social media, WordPress bloggers are about to get the same ability thanks to a new deal struck between the blogging engine and Federated Media Publishing.
The deal will offer WordPress users a chance to opt-in to Federated’s …
Siri’s Snark Becomes the Internet’s Next Big Thing
Apple’s virtual assistant Siri hasn’t been even been released for a week, and yet she’s already proven herself to be the internet’s new favorite artificial intelligence. The reason? Exactly the one that Apple had hoped would endear you to her in the first place: She talks to you.
The spectacular STSS Tumblr site collects the AI’s …
Timelines.com Explains Why It’s Suing Facebook over ‘Timeline’
The problem with suing a company like Facebook is that sometimes people don’t travel much beyond hearing the words “suing a company like Facebook” before getting defensive about their chosen social network. No wonder, then, that Timelines.com is taking to the Internet to explain why it’s trying to defend itself from being crushed by the …
Does Facebook Make Your Brain Bigger?
How social you are on social networks may depend on the size of your brain, according to new research. Or, at least, the size of your superior temporal sulcus, middle temporal gyrus, entorhinal cortex and amygdalae.
The research, from University College in London, discovered that those who are more social in general tend to have …