Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 13 Issue 51
Volume 13, Issue 51 Atari Online News, Etc. December 23, 2011
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2011
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
Fred Horvat
To subscribe to A-ONE, change e-mail addresses, or unsubscribe,
log on to our website at: www.atarinews.org
and click on "Subscriptions".
OR subscribe to A-ONE by sending a message to: dpj@atarinews.org
and your address will be added to the distribution list.
To unsubscribe from A-ONE, send the following: Unsubscribe A-ONE
Please make sure that you include the same address that you used to
subscribe from.
To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the
following sites:
http://people.delphiforums.com/dpj/a-one.htm
Now available:
http://www.atarinews.org
Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi!
http://forums.delphiforums.com/atari/
=~=~=~=
A-ONE #1351 12/23/11
~ Why Friended/Unfriended ~ People Are Talking! ~ Skype's Free Wifi!
~ Facebook Europe Flak! ~ Facebook Sues Founder? ~ Microsoft Exits CES!
~ .xxx Branding Nightmare ~ Another Chinese Hack! ~ GoDaddy SOPA Reversal!
~ Vita Has A Bumpy Debut! ~ Firefox Saved by Google ~ Social Networking #1!
-* SOPA Vote Delayed Indefinitely *-
-* Video Games Won't Make You Smarter! *-
-* Sony Is Sued in Attempt To Not Get Sued! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
It's really late here at A-ONE HQ this week. With the week before the
holidays being typically very busy at work, my work schedule was
drastically changed, and I ended up working late tonight. So, a late
work schedule means this week's issue is also late. It's been a long
week; and I've just finished up working six straight days. It wasn't
fun, but it's now over and I have a couple of days off to get some
much-needed rest!
Hopefully everyone is all set for the holidays without the dreaded need
to go out and get those last-minute gifts. It rarely fails that we need
to go out and buy a gift or two that we neglected to pick up earlier.
But this year we managed to get everything done with a few days to spare!
And I'm going to enjoy the opportunity to be able to relax this weekend
for a change. I hope that you get to do the same!
Last year at about this time I mentioned in one of my editorials that I
would be considering putting A-ONE to bed for the last time some time
this year. The thought has been getting a lot of thought throughout the
year; and there have been numerous times that I was seriously close to
doing so. Obviously I haven't done that yet, but I'm spending more and
more time thinking about it. For one thing, time has been tough to find
to work on a weekly publication. News items that I feel would be
interesting for our readers is not as abundant as past years. More and
more focus has been placed on "mobile" computing rather than computing as
we know it, or knew it. And Atari news - well, we know how that's been
for many years now! But, we've grown towards computing and internet news
to take up the slack, but non-traditional computing interests have been
taking over; and I don't feel that this particular direction is one that
I want to move towards. That's why you don't see stories about the new
phone technology stories mentioned, "apps", and other mobile stuff. And
I don't see it happening.
But another important factor is that we've been doing A-ONE for 13 years
now. That's a long time! A-ONE started off as an idea between Joe and
I, way back when. It's always been something that we shared doing. But,
things change. Joe has been having his own set of medical issues; and
that's why you haven't seen his words of wisdom among these pages for a
number of months now. We're a team, and if that team cannot continue, it
may be time to "retire". It's going to be something that we'll have to
discuss over the next few weeks. We started this project together, and
when the time comes, we'll end it together.
Meanwhile, all of us here at A-ONE want to wish all of our readers a very
happy holiday season. Please celebrate the holidays responsibly so that
we all can ring in the new year together!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - PlayStation Vita Has Bumpy Debut!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Sony Sued Over An Attempt To Keep
Its Customers from Suing
Video Games Won't Make You Smarter!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
PlayStation Vita Has Bumpy Debut in Japan
Sony's new PlayStation Vita handheld gaming device sold more than a
quarter-million units in its worldwide debut in Japan this weekend. But
that failed to match the initial push by its rival Nintendo 3DS device
earlier this year, and the Vita's release was partially marred by user
complaints and error reports.
Thousands of eager consumers reportedly lined up to get first crack at
buying the device on Saturday. Reuters reported on Tuesday that some
321,000 units were sold within two days. The relatively similar 3DS,
meanwhile, sold more than 371,000 units in its Japanese debut this
February.
The BBC also reported on Tuesday that Sony released an apology on its
Japanese PlayStation site, as well as a software upgrade, following a
series of complaints from users about problems including frozen displays,
unresponsive touch screens and system crashes.
The Vita and 3DS are trying to carve out a niche for handheld devices
dedicated solely to gaming as smart phones and tablets have greatly
increased their own gaming capabilities in recent years. After its strong
debut this year, 3DS sales dropped off rapidly, but analysts have
speculated that the Vita's wide range of game titles will give it a
longer-term appeal with consumers.
Mashable was able to try the Vita and several of its upcoming major games
last week, and came away impressed with the device's capabilities. An
intuitive touch interface, impressive graphics, augmented reality and
wireless connectivity all made the Vita a definite upgrade over phone or
tablet games, although not a must-buy for casual gamers. But those assets
will likely be overshadowed in consumers' minds if technical malfunctions
persist.
The PlayStation Vita will be released in North America, Europe and
Australia on Feb. 22. The WiFi-only model will sell for $249.99, with the
3G version priced at $299.99.
Sony Sued Over An Attempt To Keep Its Customers from Suing
But will those suing will be sued for suing?
It's irony at its finest: After mandating its users sign away their legal
rights in order to access the PlayStation Network, Sony is on the
receiving end of a lawsuit that claims the act was an unfair business
practice. The class-action suit seeks to represent all those who purchased
PlayStation 3 consoles prior to an August 2011 change to the PSN Terms of
Service.
Shortly after the PlayStation Network was hacked - and then hacked again -
Sony quietly added a "don't sue" clause to their Terms of Service,
effectively handcuffing its users' legal rights. Acceptance was mandatory,
lest your PlayStation 3 turn into an expensive paperweight. You could only
opt out by sending a physical letter to Sony - if you noticed the clause
buried in the legal document at all, of course.
If successful, the lawsuit could have wide-reaching effects: Both Microsoft
and Electronic Arts added similar clauses to their Terms of Service after
Sony did.
Video Games Won't Make You Smarter
Those action-packed video games under many Christmas trees on Sunday
morning may be loads of fun, but don't expect them to improve kids'
grades, concentration, driving skills or other cognitive abilities, one
group of psychologists says.
Some researchers also say they've found video games such as current
top-seller "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" won't damage players' brains
or cause them to do real violence.
Those relatively recent findings conflict with other studies on both the
positive and negative potential of gaming, but one thing experts on all
sides tend to agree about is that the debate - and their research - is
far from over.
"Play these games because they are fun and you enjoy doing them, and let's
kind of wait for more research to suggest whether or not they are actually
good for us," said Florida State University psychologist Walter Boot.
Boot and two colleagues say they have turned up flaws in various studies
ascribing cognitive benefits to playing video games and that they they've
been unable to replicate the results. Boot, Florida State doctoral student
Daniel Blakely and University of Illinois researcher Daniel Simons wrote
about their findings in a paper published in the journal Frontiers in
Psychology three months ago.
It "happens to be a rather direct attack about our work," University of
Rochester researcher Daphne Bavelier wrote in an email Thursday from
France where she is on sabbatical.
Bavelier defended studies she and other scientists have conducted that
show a causal link between video game playing and enhanced abilities.
She said it is Boot and his colleagues who have flaws in their work and
wrote a point-by-point rebuttal of their paper's detailed findings. It's
also the only negative position paper aligned against multiple,
peer-reviewed studies by "world renowned experts," she wrote.
"This paper does not present new evidence, or even new analysis - it is
just an opinionated discussion of existing data," Bavelier wrote. "Quite
simply put, there is not much controversy about the published effects so
far."
Christopher Ferguson, a clinical psychologist at Texas A&M International
University in Laredo, Texas, has focused on the perceived dark side of
video gaming. As opposed to prior studies indicating violent games could
beget violent actions, Ferguson said he found "nothing."
Studies on violence and video games have some of the same flaws Boot found
for research on cognitive benefits, Ferguson said. He said that was
probably because researchers drew conclusions before all the data was in.
"Video games had this sort of new toy effect," Ferguson said by phone from
Orlando, where he was visiting relatives for the holidays. "People didn't
know what to think about them and kind of got excited in both positive
and negative ways."
This month's edition of the journal Nature Reviews/Neuroscience includes
an article on video game research, describing it as being still in its
early days. The journal posed several questions to prominent researchers
and published their responses.
They include Bavelier, an assistant professor in Rochester's Department of
Brain and Cognitive Science, and University of Minnesota psychologist C.
Shawn Green, who submitted joint responses.
They maintained playing action video games "results in a wide range of
behavioral benefits, including enhancements in low-level vision, visual
attention, speed of processing and statistical inference."
Bavelier and Green also wrote there's no black-and-white answer to the
question of whether video games improve cognitive function because there
are millions of games and hundreds of genres that can be played on various
devices including computers, consoles and cell phones.
"Simply put, if one wants to know what the effects of video games are,
the devil is in the details," they wrote.
Two more scientists questioned by the journal also cited studies showing
positive results two others wrote that effects on the brain and behavior
are "uncertain" and that studies have not generally showing gaming
enhances higher level reasoning.
Boot, 32, and Ferguson, 40, grew up playing video games. Ferguson said he
still plays games such as Lego's Star Wars and Indiana Jones with his
8-year-old son. He suggested other parents do likewise.
"When they hear about Grand Theft Auto or Medal of Honor they get all
freaky about it," Ferguson said.
But, he said, a colleague's research shows parents realize their fears were
unjustified once they've played the games themselves.
Those trying to improve specific abilities such as driving a car or flying
an airplane should look to simulators that focus on those skills instead
of video games, Boot said.
"Simulate the demands that you'll actually encounter in those tasks rather
than giving someone Grand Theft Auto and assuming there's going to be some
kind of magical transfer of skills that you pick up in that game to actual
driving performance," he said.
There's also a proven alternative for boosting brain power that has other
beneficial effects as well, Boot said. It's called exercise.
"Don't sit down and play a game," he said. "Go out there for a walk."
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
SOPA Vote Delayed Indefinitely
In a victory for opponents of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), the
House Judiciary Committee decided today to delay a vote on the highly
controversial bill until the "earliest practical day that Congress is in
session." The decision could push the vote to next week, or as far as
next year, after Congress returns from its holiday break. Either way,
opponents now have more time to fight the legislation, which many say
will usher in unprecedented censorship on the Internet and stifle
innovation.
At the request of SOPA opponents on the Committee, Rep. Lamar Smith
(R-TX), the chief sponsor of SOPA and the Committees chairman, agreed to
delay a vote on the bill until experts could be brought in to explain the
technical ramifications of altering the domain-name system (DNS) as a way
to fight online piracy.
As written, SOPA would require Internet service providers (ISPs) to block
access to sites that have been accused by copyright holders of
facilitating the spread of pirated material, at the behest of the Attorney
General. DNS providers, servers, payment processors and advertisers would
be required to stop doing business with accused sites. Search engines,
like Google, would be ordered by the Justice Department to completely
remove accused sites from their system.
Supporters of the SOPA argue that the bill only targets "foreign rogue
sites," which cannot be sued under current US copyright law. Law-abiding
sites in the United States, they say, are at no risk.
"The bill defines rogue sites as foreign websites primarily dedicated to
the sale and distribution of illegal or infringing material or foreign
websites that market themselves as websites primarily dedicated to illegal
or infringing activity," said Rep. Smith in response to a letter from
Google, Twitter, eBay and a number of Internet titans who oppose SOPA.
"Lawful companies and websites like Google, Twitter, Yahoo and Facebook
have nothing to worry about under this bill."
Rep. Smiths interpretation goes against a rapidly growing number of
experts who say SOPAs detrimental effects will reach far and wide, and
will absolutely affect a large number of websites in the United States,
including sites and services like Tumblr, Twitter, Reddit, eBay and
Google, to name only a few.
Yesterday, 83 high-profile investors and engineers - many of whom played
key roles in the creation of the Internet - signed a letter that explains
that the enactment of SOPA will not only "create an environment of
tremendous fear and uncertainty for technological innovation, and
seriously harm the credibility of the United States in its role as a
steward of key Internet infrastructure," but will also fragment the DNS,
making the entire Internet less secure. At the same time, it would
"engender censorship that will simultaneously be circumvented by
deliberate infringers while hampering innocent parties right and ability
to communicate and express themselves online."
In other words: SOPA, they say, will make online censorship rampant, and
make it more dangerous for technology companies to operate. It will
jeopardize the integrity of the Internet, all the while doing nothing to
stop online piracy, since these sites could still be accessed through their
IP address.
During the two markup hearings, about 20 amendments to SOPA were proposed
to address the concerns of opponents of the bill. None passed. When the
Committee resumes its markup hearings on SOPA, it will have around 30
additional amendments to consider before the bill can go up for a full vote
before the House.
GoDaddy Goes Back on Pro-SOPA Stance To Avoid Boycott
Remember when GoDaddy stood firm on its support for the Stop Online Privacy
Act (SOPA)? Thats all in the past now, as apparently the company has
officially announced a position change on Friday.
In a statement, the domain registrar pointed out that though it had
supported the controversial piece of legislation, GoDaddy along with its
general counsel, Christine Jones, had fought to revise some of the uglier
aspects of the bill: limitations on DNS filtering, harder consequences for
weak claims and a way to protect freedom of speech. GoDaddy emphasized its
support for the First Amendment and the importance of the internet for the
economy. The company admits to removing any pro-SOPA blog posts to ensure
there is no confusion as to what side GoDaddy stands on.
"Fighting online piracy is of the utmost importance, which is why Go Daddy
has been working to help craft revisions to this legislation " but we can
clearly do better," said the companys CEO, Warren Adelman. "Its very
important that all Internet stakeholders work together on this. Getting it
right is worth the wait. Go Daddy will support it when and if the Internet
community supports it.
Though "Internet community" may refer to the large host of companies,
services, and websites who have spoken out against SOPA such as Facebook,
Google, Twitter, 4chan, Yahoo etc., it most likely refers to a recent
campaign against Go Daddy which began in the Reddit community. Yesterday,
Reddit user selfprodigy kickstarted the move your domain day boycott
which quickly gathered traction and gained anti-GoDaddy support from
StackOverflow, the 1,000 domain strong Cheezburger Network, Y Combinator
and even Wikipedia. December 29 was the the date for the exodus, though
since GoDadddy seems to have received the message the attack dogs will
probably be called off. +1 for the Internet.
China Hackers Breached U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Hackers in China broke through the computer defenses of the U.S. Chamber
of Commerce last year and were able to access information about its
operations and its 3 million members, the Wall Street Journal reported on
Wednesday.
In Beijing, China dismissed the report.
The Journal, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter, reported
the operation against the top American business lobbying group involved at
least 300 internet addresses and was discovered and shut down in May 2010.
The newspaper reported it was not known how much information was seen by
the hackers, or who may have had access to the network for more than a
year before being discovered.
The group behind the breach is suspected by the United States of having
ties to the Chinese government, one of the sources told the newspaper. The
FBI informed the Chamber of Commerce that servers in China were pilfering
its information, the source said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin dismissed the report.
"There's nothing to be said about the baseless whipping up of so-called
hacking and it won't come to anything," he told a daily news briefing in
Beijing. "Chinese law bans hacking."
The Chamber of Commerce employs 450 people and represents business
interests in Congress, including most of the largest U.S. corporations.
The newspaper reported that the emails revealed the names of companies and
key people in contact with the Chamber, as well as trade-policy documents,
meeting notes, trip reports and schedules.
"What was unusual about it was that this was clearly somebody very
sophisticated, who knew exactly who we are and who targeted specific people
and used sophisticated tools to try to gather intelligence," the group's
chief operating officer, David Chavern, told the Journal.
China is often cited as a suspect in various hacking attacks on U.S.
targets. In August, the Pentagon warned in a report to Congress that
hacking from China could one day be used for overt military means.
Facebook Rapped in Europe Over Privacy
Facebook has to better explain to users what happens to their personal
data and give them more control, the data commissioner in Ireland, home to
the website's international headquarters, said Wednesday.
Facebook must work towards "simpler explanations of its privacy policies
(and) ... easier accessibility and prominence of these policies," the
Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) said.
It called on the US firm behind the popular website, which helps its some
800 million users worldwide keep in touch with friends and exchange
information, to provide "an enhanced ability for users to make their own
informed choices."
The DPC report, compiled after a three-month "audit" and available at
www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Home/4.htm, also called on Facebook to allow
users to delete permanently old messages, friend requests, pokes, tags
and posts.
Facebook's indefinite retention of information of what adverts users had
clicked on was also "unacceptable," it said. Facebook said in response it
would "move immediately to a two-year retention period."
The watchdog also said that Facebooks implementation of its facial
recognition feature, allowing users to identify or "tag" people in
photos, should have been handled "in a more appropriate manner."
It also said it was "inappropriate" for Facebook to hold data collected
from "social plug-ins" - the "like" button - other than "for a very short
period and for very limited purposes."
It said Facebook should provide within 40 days all information it holds
on a particular user or non-user if requested to do so.
The DPC conducted the audit, aimed at determining whether Facebook
complied with Irish and by extension European Union law, because Facebook
Ireland is the entity with which non-US and non-Canadian users have a
contract, the DPC said.
It followed a string of complaints by an Austrian student called Max
Schrems who rose to prominence with his "Europe-versus-Facebook" pressure
group, as well as the Norwegian Consumer Council and other individuals.
Schrems, 24, had launched his campaign after being shocked to receive from
Facebook, in response to a demand for all the data it held on him, 1,222
pages of information, he told AFP earlier this year.
"At first sight the report seems to be a first victory over Facebook's
ignorance towards privacy laws," Europe-versus-Facebook said on its
website www.europe-v-facebook.org/EN/en.html.
Co-founded by Mark Zuckerberg when he too was a student, Facebook said in
response that the DPC had "highlighted several opportunities to strengthen
our existing practices."
"Facebook has committed to either implement, or to consider, other 'best
practice' improvements recommended by the DPC, even in situations where
our practices already comply with legal requirements," it said in a
statement available at www.facebook.com/facebookpublicpolicyeurope.
Facebook has been under rising regulatory scrutiny as the Palo Alto,
California-based firm has tried to turn the massively popular site into a
profitable business ahead of a possible stock market listing.
On November 30 it agreed with the US Federal Trade Commission to tighten
its privacy policies after the FTC found it had deceived users by for
example making personal data that it had vowed to keep private available
to advertisers.
DPC deputy commissioner Gary Davis said that because Facebook Ireland was
only given responsibility for international users in September 2010, it
"should not come as a surprise... that there should be room for
improvement."
"Facebook is constantly evolving and adapting in response to user needs
and technical developments," the DPC said.
"Indeed the almost Darwinian nature of the site means that there will
constantly be an absolute need to have in place robust mechanisms to keep
pace with the innovation that is the source of the site's success."
The DPC said a formal review of progress would take place in July. In
theory Facebook could be fined up to 100,000 euros ($130,520) if it
refuses to comply with the body's recommendations, but this is seen as
highly unlikely.
'Mark Zuckerberg' Hopes Facebook Won't Sue its 'Founder'
Everyone loves being mistaken for a celebrity from time to time, right?
Depending on who you may (or may not) resemble, it can be flattering to be
thrown into the same bucket as Zach Galifianakis, or Emma Watson, or Tyra
Banks, et cetera. And it's even better when you know someone who shares
the same name as a celebrity: Watching your buddy Thomas Cruise try to
make dinner reservations never gets old.
It's a little trickier if you're that person, but you're trying to make a
legitimate social network profile to represent yourself instead of your
celebrity doppelganger. And as one Israeli entrepreneur has learned, it
can be downright disastrous when your name is that of a social network's
well-known founder.
To be fair, Roten Guez wasn't born with the name he now uses: Mark
Zuckerberg. And it's not just a clever little edit on his Facebook profile
that's led to his account being disabled by Facebook HQ. Guez's legal
name, as of this article's writing, is indeed Mark Zuckerberg.
Were one able to see Guez/Zuckerberg's Facebook wall, you'd probably
notice a big life event happening on December 7 - the official date of
Guez's name change. The big story behind his reasoning for doing so is a
bit of a cat-and-mouse game but, in short, Guez was hoping that Facebook
would somehow find it difficult (or a strange PR move) to sue the name of
the company's founder. Facebook has had a considerably easier time
threatening to sue Guez otherwise.
The animosity between the social network and its not-really-founder
started around January of this year. Guez had filed a lawsuit against
Facebook and sales affiliate Nana10 MASA claiming that the company had
refused to restore his (original) Facebook account for no "apparent,
legitimate reason" following an alleged hacking attack. The likely
reasoning, we suspect, was related to Guez's business: A company called
"Like Store," which promised to boost the number of likes on a branded
Facebook page for a fee ranging in the hundreds of dollars.
Facebook's law firm, Perkins Cole, responded with a cease-and-desist
letter in September that informed Guez he was prohibited from accessing
Facebook at any point in the future (for business or personal interests).
Guez changed his name in December and started using it to create a new
Facebook profile. This "unofficial" Mark Zuckerberg profile was
subsequently banned by Facebook, although Guez's "I'm Mark Zuckerberg"
Facebook page still exists as of this article's writing.
Guez has since received a second letter from Perkins Cole demanding that
he stop accessing Facebook, and it remains to be seen how each side will
react to the other's actions going forward. Or, as Guez asks on his
webpage, will Facebook (now) sue Mark Zuckerberg?
Firefox Saved as Google Renews Default Search Engine Deal
The will they or wont they suspense has ended. Google has climbed back
into bed with the Firefox web browser, renewing the agreement to stay as
default search engine for Firefox.
The financial terms were undisclosed, but the Mozilla blog announced
Tuesday that this "significant and mutually beneficial revenue agreement"
has been extended for a at least another three years. Mozilla doesnt go
into too much detail about what the three year agreement entails.
"Mozilla has been a valuable partner to Google over the years and we look
forward to continuing this great partnership in the years to come," said
Senior VP of Search at Google, Alan Eustace.
The contract was set to be renewed last month, but apparently the two
companies have been in negotiations this entire time. The delay began to
stir up a murmur about the fate of Firefox without Google as a partner.
The search companys deal pays Mozilla for the privilege of being the
default search engine. More than 98 percent of Mozillas 2010 revenue came
from royalties paid by search-engine companies, and by some estimates,
Google made up around 85 percent of that. For 2010, Google was basically
$100 million of Mozillas entire $123 million income.
The rise in ranking for Googles Chrome browser may have helped fuel the
worry surrounding Firefox. Chrome, according to StatCounter, recently
passed Firefox up, becoming the second most popular browser globally with
a 25.7 percent market share in November 2011. Though other metrics firms
stated slightly different figures, it has begun to look as if Google
didnt need Firefox anymore.
However, theres no need to speculate anymore as to whether Firefox will
limp along or if Microsoft will rush in to fill Googles gap; Firefox will
continue to be propped up for the next few years. Hopefully, over the
three year breather, well see some diversification with Firefox to make
up for its vulnerabilites.
Skype Offering Free Airport WiFi to Mac, PC and iOS Users in December
Skype says it wants to make travelers lives easier over the holidays and
has announced a free WiFi deal with certain airports. If you find yourself
stuck in one of the 50+ participating airports terminals over the
holidays, youll be able to tap into a free hour of Internet access at a
third party wireless hotspot, courtesy of the Microsoft-acquired voIP
service.
The date for the free WiFi offer begins Wednesday, December 21 and ends
December 27. Skype video and voice calls will be free and available to
those with either a PC, Mac or iOS devices. It doesnt seem as if those
with Android, Blackberry or Windows Phone devices will get to access the
offer.
To participate in the WiFi bounty, youll need to have the latest version
of Skype for Windows or Mac, or have downloaded the Skype WiFi app for the
iPad or iPhone. Sign in to your account and verify that the location is
correct; if its not, Skype WiFi charges by the minute. Only one hour is
free, but that may be the pleasant distraction needed during this stressful
season. Major airports like JFK and the San Francisco International Airport
are on the list; check with Skype to see if your airport is participating.
Skypes holiday message? Love and family: "The holidays are all about
connecting with those you love. Skype is helping people maintain these
meaningful connections this holiday season from wherever they may be,"
said Skype product marketing director, Linda Summers.
The company is picking up the Google slack this season. Google has in the
past provided free wireless to many weary travelers stuck in airports
around this time, though it seems as if Santas taking a break this year.
Aside from the free offer, the Skype Credit powered WiFi program allows
users Internet access at over 1 million WiFi hotspots globally.
Why Defensive .XXX Registration Is Only the Beginning of a Branding Nightmare
If you did not know about ICANNs decision to release the .xxx gTLD (global
Top Level Domain) earlier in the year you probably do now. You may have
been surprised to receive a barrage of emails from various registrars like
GoDaddy and Register.com hawking domains in the Internets new red light
district (unless you are already in the adult entertainment business). The
comprehensive email and marketing campaigns that the registrars have
unleashed to publicize the .xxx registry can only lead one to assume that
existing adult entertainment industry has been clamoring for this new slice
of the web, or that ordinary folks are quitting their jobs and starting new
careers as adult web site entrepreneurs. However, as Mashable has
previously pointed out, neither seems to be the case.
That article explains the .xxx gTLD has led to a virtual stampede by
legitimate businesses and institutions to defensively register their names
in the .xxx domain in order to protect those names from falling into the
wrong hands and being used with adult content. The Salt Lake Tribune
reported earlier in the week that Brigham Young University has purchased
several domains in the .xxx registry. Some believe this unintended (though
eminently foreseeable) consequence of the .xxx registry has made it an
epic failure.
I agree, and yet theres more for brand managers at companies of all sizes
to think about. Some of the commercial success of the .xxx gTLD is
attributable to defensive registrations - a unique form of Internet
extortion whereby legitimate institutions are forced to pay for .xxx
domains even though they have no intention of ever using them. According to
the .xxx registry, there have already been over 160,000 .xxx domain
registrations as of December 12th. Back-of-the-envelope calculations
indicate that at about $100 a domain (based on public one year pricing at
GoDaddy) thats a windfall of roughly $16 million for registrars, with about
$29,000 going to ICAAN. Thus, in a perverse twist, the .xxx registrys
commercial success is being funded in part by the non-adult entertainment
world because the .xxx gTLD has the unique potential to damage a brand.
The .xxx gTLD is just the tip of the iceberg as the Internet readies itself
for the launch of ICANNs new gTLD program on January 12, 2012. Brand
owners will have to be ready, just as with the .xxx launch, to make sure
they can grab those assets they deem most valuable when there are suddenly
hundreds of new gTLDs foisted on the marketplace. It will also be important
for corporate counsel and IP attorneys to brush up on the UDRP process, by
which companies can file complaints when parties register domains which are
identical to or include their company trademarks and variations. What can
be done now to prepare for this?
Identify valuable marks in your companys trademark portfolio that you
will want to protect and that are worthy of obtaining defensive
registrations.
Designate someone in your organization or an outside attorney/consultant
to follow the latest extension applications with ICANN so you can stay
in front of the curve and identify those extensions that may be relevant
to your business before your corporate names/assets are lost to third
parties or squatters.
Create a budget that will be dedicated to obtaining these assets, and
figure out who will be responsible for registering names on your
behalf.
Begin thinking comprehensively about your company's Internet strategy
and make sure that going forward, future product/trademark development
is done with an eye toward co-existing in an expanded Internet.
Microsoft Says 2012 CES Tech Show Will Be Its Last
Microsoft Corp. is pulling out of the International Consumer Electronics
Show, the largest trade show in the Americas. It's joining Apple in
saying that it prefers to put on its own events when the time is right to
show off its products.
Microsoft said the next show, to be held Jan. 9-12 in Las Vegas, will be
the last show at which it has a booth or the CEO delivers the customary
kick-off speech.
Company founder Bill Gates delivered keynote speeches at the show for 11
straight years. Current CEO Steve Ballmer has delivered the speech for the
past three shows and will present his last next month.
The software company has been one of the biggest U.S. supporters of the
annual event, which gathered nearly 150,000 people this year. Originally
focused on living-room electronics, the show has become the big annual
U.S. event for all consumer technology after the demise of big
computer-focused shows such as Comdex.
Microsoft says it will continue to use CES as a place to connect to
customers, but it won't have a booth because its product milestones don't
align with the show's January timing.
At the upcoming show, Ballmer is scheduled to speak about the Windows 8
operating system. But the software isn't expected to be ready until late
next year, so computer makers won't have any real Windows 8 products at
the show.
"They're not cooked yet. So he's going to be stuck trying to present a
bunch of stuff that will be months away from being ready," said technology
industry analyst Rob Enderle.
Apple doesn't participate in trade shows at all after pulling out of the
Macworld Conference & Expo after 2009.
The Consumer Electronics Association, which organizes CES, said it has
tremendous demand for invitations to hold keynote speeches, and it has
already received feelers from companies that want to rent for the 2013
show the space where Microsoft usually has its booth.
Nevada Adopts Rules for Internet Poker Licenses
Nevada gambling regulators on Thursday unanimously approved rules that
allow companies in the state apply for licenses to operate poker websites,
a move that puts Nevada in a position to capitalize if Congress reverses
its ban on Internet gambling.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the regulations would let casino
companies operate Internet poker sites in the state, and some sites could
begin operating by the end of 2012.
"We estimate the U.S. online poker market at $5 billion in revenue,
relative to the current $24 billion global Internet gaming market and
(the) $33 billion commercial casino market in the U.S.," Union Gaming
Group analyst Bill Lerner wrote in a research report. "In our opinion,
the commercialization of online poker is a 2013 event."
Online poker in Nevada could be commercially marginal, but would provide
a model for other states, Lerner said.
The guidelines were mandated by the state Legislature's approval of
Assembly Bill 258 earlier this year, which dictated that Internet poker
regulations be established by Jan. 31.
Licensed gaming companies seeking online poker licenses will have to prove
that their technology will be able to limit play to state residents of a
legal age. Online poker sites are also required to establish procedures to
detect money laundering, fraud or other criminal activities, and to
establish a cash reserve to complement money deposited by customers in
their accounts.
Caesars Entertainment Corp. and Boyd Gaming Corp. have already submitted
proposals to be licensed once regulations are ready, along with casino
equipment manufacturers such as International Game Technology, Bally
Technologies Inc. and Cantor Gaming.
According to the regulations, companies new to Nevada would be vetted with
full licensing investigations, which usually take several months.
Casino industry representatives applauded the vote despite online poker
being illegal in the United States.
The federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 prohibits
companies from accepting payments related to online wagering, but allows
several exceptions, including intrastate wagering and fantasy sports.
Social Networking Is The Most Popular Online Activity
1.2 billion users worldwide - 82 percent of the worlds internet
population over the age of 15 - now log on to a social networking site.
Internet users around the world spent close to one in every five minutes
on social networking sites in October, says new research by research firm
comScore, making it the most engaging online activity worldwide.
Its only taken a few years for social networking to gain the attention
(and time) of internet users worldwide. In 2007 Internet users spent only
six percent of their time on social networking sites.
"The emergence and widespread global adoption of social networks has
vastly influenced human interaction on an individual, community and larger
societal level, and underscores the convergence of the online and offline
worlds," notes Linda Boland Abraham, comScore CMO and EVP of global
development in the December 21 report. "Regardless of geography, social
networks are weaving themselves ever more intricately into the fabric of
the digital experience, opening a world of new opportunity for business
and technology."
Facebook, the third largest web property online, is king of all social
networking sites. Visits to Facebook accounted for one in every seven
minutes internet users spent online in October and 75 percent of all time
spent on all social networking sites.
Twitter is the top dog when it comes to microblogging but Chinas Sina
Weibo is growing quickly too. Sina Weibo grew 181 percent over the last
year and was the tenth largest social network in October; Twitter grew
59 percent during the same period.
In a December 22 post on its blog, data intelligence firm Experian Hitwise
revealed that digital pinboard site Pinterest has grown to become one of
the top 10 social networking sites. Its interesting news as the social
network is still in its infancy and is currently invite-only.
"The invitation only site received nearly 11 million total visits during
the week ending December 17, 2011, almost 40 times the number of total
visits versus just six months ago (week ending June 18, 2011)," said
Experian Hitwise.
Social networking is not just limited to the web. Close to 65 percent of
all smartphone users in the US visited a social networking site in
October; two in five used their mobile device to connect to a social
network nearly every day.
Internet users in Israel were the most engaged social networkers in the
world, racking up an average of 11.1 hours per visitor on networking sites
in October - close to double the worldwide average of 5.7 hours per
visitor.
Latin American countries accounted for five out of the top ten most engaged
social networking countries while the United States, surprisingly, didnt
even make it into the top ten.
Top ten most engaged countries for social networking in October 2011, with
average number of hours per visitor:
Israel - 11.1 hours
Argentina - 10.7 hours
Russia - 10.4 hours
Turkey - 10.2 hours
Chile - 9.8 hours
The Philippines - 8.7 hours
Colombia - 8.5 hours
Peru - 8.3 hours
Venezuela - 7.9 hours
Canada - 7.7 hours
This Is Why You Were Friended or Unfriended
While some Internet interactions are online-only relationships, the most
common reason we add friends on Facebook is because we know people in real
life.
According to recent research from NM Incite, for 82% of Facebook users,
knowing someone offline is reason to add them on the social network. The
next most common reason for adding a friend is having many mutual friends,
a practice reported by 60% of users.
The remaining reasons for adding friends include superficial aspects of
your Facebook profile such as physical attractiveness and friend count -
which is not surprising considering many users make their posts and
comments visible to only their Friends. You can see the complete results
of the study in the graphic below.
When it comes to why we unfriend, there are more possible explanations.
Fifty-five percent of Facebook users call offensive comments cause for
removing someone from their networks. The next most common reason is not
knowing a friend well (41%) and sales soliciting (39%). The remaining
explanations are a variety of social media etiquette SNAFUs.
Men are more likely to use Facebook for professional networking and dating.
For women, Facebook is the place to connect with real life friends, snag
deals and express creativity. Women are more likely to remove friends for
offensive comments or a weak offline relationship.
The "State of Social Media Survey" polled 1,895 social media using adults
(age 18 and older), recruited online between Mar. 31 and Apr. 14 through
online forums, blogs and other social networking platforms.
Why do you friend and unfriend people on Facebook? Let us know your
practices in the comments.
=~=~=~=
Atari Online News, Etc. is a weekly publication covering the entire
Atari community. Reprint permission is granted, unless otherwise noted
at the beginning of any article, to Atari user groups and not for
profit publications only under the following terms: articles must
remain unedited and include the issue number and author at the top of
each article reprinted. Other reprints granted upon approval of
request. Send requests to: dpj@atarinews.org
No issue of Atari Online News, Etc. may be included on any commercial
media, nor uploaded or transmitted to any commercial online service or
internet site, in whole or in part, by any agent or means, without
the expressed consent or permission from the Publisher or Editor of
Atari Online News, Etc.
Opinions presented herein are those of the individual authors and do
not necessarily reflect those of the staff, or of the publishers. All
material herein is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing.
