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- By Christmas, Google May Be Known In The Music World
- EU Considering Second Enquiry Into Chinese Modem Subsidies
- Craiglist Has Blocked Access To “Adult Services” Section
- Advertising Standards Authority In UK To Extend Regulations To Social Media and Company Websites
- Clearwire Launching A Pre-Paid WiMAX Service
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Web Design, Internet Technology and Online Marketing News: Current
By Christmas, Google May Be Known In The Music World
September 6th, 2010Google is in talks with record companies regarding it’s plans to launch an online music store and digital song tool. This new tool would allow mobile users to access and play new music wherever they are–on the go. This new tool would increase the rivalry between Apple and Google. Currently, Apple dominates the industry with a 70% market share of all US digital music sales.
It is said that Christmas will be the launch date for Google’s new music store.
EU Considering Second Enquiry Into Chinese Modem Subsidies
September 6th, 2010The European Commission is considering whether to open a second investigation into the prohibited subsidizing of modem manufacturers by the Chinese Government. Option, a Belgium 3G modem maker, raised a complaint in the EU that Chinese companies were dumping wireless modems onto the European market at insanely cheap prices. The complaint alleges that ZTE and Huawei, two manufacturers are subsidized by their Government, which gives them a hugely unfair advantage in the open markets.
During the last investigation, the Chinese Government accused the European Union of protectionism.
Craiglist Has Blocked Access To “Adult Services” Section
September 5th, 2010
Facing pressure from human rights groups, law enforcement and other groups that feel Craigslist’s adult services section contributes to human trafficking, the classified ads website has blocked access to the “adult services” section.
It is unclear whether Craigslist plans to permanently close this section of the website or if this is, as the NY Times has stated in an article titled Craigslist Blocks Access to ‘Adult Services’ Pages, “temporary protest against the outside pressure on the company, which has lasted several years.”
Last month, the attorneys general from 17 states sent a letter to Craigslist’s CEO demanding them to remove the section from their pages.
Advertising Standards Authority In UK To Extend Regulations To Social Media and Company Websites
September 5th, 2010Advertising Standards Authority of Britain is concerned about the growing gray area on the web where misinformation and misleading advertisements may run amock. This regulatory agency plans to extend it’s influence into the social media world and over company websites.
What lead to the problem is that a growing number of companies are shifting their marketing efforts away from traditional advertising and into more independent vehicles such as company websites, micro-sites, blogs and into social media campaigns. These areas do not carry the same level of oversight as banner ads, print campaigns and text advertising in the UK.
The UK is facing pressure to move regulation into more parts of the web from the European Commission in Brussels. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has published guidelines for social media and blogs, but the UK approach is a bit heavier handed as it includes tough penalties for violators.
Clearwire Launching A Pre-Paid WiMAX Service
August 29th, 2010Clearwire Corp will be launching a new WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) product: a prepaid solution that will compliment it’s existing contract basis and month-to-month basis products. Clearwire offers it’s 4G internet service to approximately 56 million people (49 markets) through relationships with Sprint, Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Clearwire has announced it’s plans to expand its 4G coverage across the US, and this new market segment, pre-paid internet, will certainly expand it’s subscriber base. The company is looking to leverage pre-paid data in both the 3G and 4G markets. It’s major competitor, Verizon, has announced plans to make it’s contract data plans more attractive: 5GB of 3G is $60 per month with contract but $80 on a prepaid plan.
New Facebook SPAM scheme uses chat posts with malicious links
August 28th, 2010A growing attack method is spreading through Facebook.
The method uses the chat feature to post some inviting or curious text with a link to a payload page containing a “404-Page Not Found” error message. The current message is “LOL is this you?.” After clicking the link, the attacker will be able to use the victim’s account to send more SPAM. This distribution method and message has also been reported on Twitter.
Verizon’s Certain Commitment To Mobile eCommerce
August 22nd, 2010Verizon Ventures, the VC arm of Verizon, has placed an investment of $400,000 in CardStar, the maker of a mobile app for that iPhone that serves as a holding container for all a user’s digital membership cards. Cardstar is a consumer-focused application that connects loyalty cards, merchants and coupons by way of mobile devices.
The Wall Street Journal ( in an article Verizon Makes Small Bet On Mobile Loyalty-Card Program ) covered Verizon’s recent move–stating that it was part of it’s on-going interest in mobile commerce. This investment will certainly become more valuable with time–especially as many more incentive and loyalty programs become fitted for the iPhone and other smart mobile devices.
In total, Cardstar has raised $1.4 million in funds–including Verizon’s investment of 400k.
Google Sites and Docs Get Loaded With New Goodies
August 21st, 2010This week Google Sites and Documents were updated with a host of new exciting functionality. New tools include horizontal navigation, global footers, and quick links.
The horizontal navigation allows users to add horizontal type navigation to Google Sites. This can work for both footers and headers as a site-wide navigation element.
Quick links allows for opening Google Docs on a site.
For Google Docs, there are also a number of new features:
- New page sizes
- URLs will automatically be linked
- Spell check has been added to spreadsheets
HTML5 May Raise New Security Concerns For Developers
August 21st, 2010HTML5 can power a new breed of web 2.0 websites. In fact, HTML5 will help move many websites and services into becoming full applications–more like those that run on your desktop.
With this new functionality, there are a slew of new web security concerns. From buffer overflow vulnerability with the canvas image-rendering feature to SQL injection attacks, the new features of HTML5 give alot more options to hackers and to those with malicious intent.
Browser makers and security teams are combing through the new functionality of HTML5 and it’s security implications (NY TIMES: HTML5 Raises New Security Issues, August 20, 2010).
Disney and other top websites may be spying, alleges a case in Federal court
August 15th, 2010An argument going before Federal court in California claims that Disney and a number of other top websites, including sites by Disney, Warner Bros. Records, and Demand Media have broke the law and have been spying on and collecting personal information of it’s users. Part of that group who were spied on were minors.
The case centers around Clearspring Technologies, a software maker that produced the very popular social media sharing product AddThis.
The case alleges that Clearspring Technologies helps it’s clients spy on user activity beyond the allowable purview and gather more personal information on user activities.
It should be noted that Clearspring Technologies rival Quantcast also had a similar claim filed against them last month involving clients NBC and ABC.