Archive for October, 2011

Fed to start monitoring social networks for sentiment

Oct 12 by JD Rucker | add comment

In December, the Fed will begin monitoring Facebook, Twitter, and much of the rest of the internet in an effort to gauge sentiment of the financial world and particularly their own perception. #OccupyWallStreet isn’t the only one hitting the web. A request for proposal surfaced on Scribd in September: more »

The softer side of social helps women stay professional: @HybridMom

Oct 11 by Rocco Penn | add comment

In the fast moving world of tech (and the faster moving world of social media) finding the happy medium between family and professional life can be a challenge. It is particularly challenging for women at times because of heightened familial expectations mixed with equal professional responsibilities more »

Cali. Gov. Brown to allow police to search phones without a warrant

Oct 11 by Connor Livingston | 4 comments

Despite heavy support from both parties and an outcry of the people, California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a bill passed by state legislature that would have banned searches of smartphones by police without a warrant. The ban would have prevented police officers from searching smartphones more »

Amazon to hit the gaming pre-order market today

Oct 11 by Rocco Penn | add comment

Steam has more competition coming its way as Amazon is expected to offer PC game pre-orders on digital downloads starting today. The online sales giant already offers downloads of current titles such as Civilation V and NBA 2K12. Now, they will join Steam, EA’s Origin, and other online retailers in offering pre-orders more »

Creating drugs with the mind

Oct 11 by Connor Livingston | add comment

It’s easy to trick the mind. We’ve seen some amazing examples of this in the past, but what about the mind’s ability to be tricked to heal (or not heal) the body through drugs that we believe will work, but are empty in reality? Why do placebos work? Science has yet to fully understand why placebos, a sham or simulated medical intervention, can have more »

Twitter closes deal to get "Tweet" trademark

Oct 11 by Scarlett Madison | 1 comment

They made the mistake in the beginning by not slapping a Trademark on the word that has become synonymous with the posting on their site. Now, Twitter will finally have the rights to the word, “Tweet”. James Eliason, CEO of Twittad, announced in an interview that he would transfer the registered more »

If Microsoft fails in the mobile phone industry, it will be for lack of confidence

Oct 10 by JD Rucker | 3 comments

Here’s a quote from the head of the Windows Phone unit at Microsoft: “So, I think that what our strategy is is to put things in place that allow us to leapfrog, and I think that’s how we’ve gone from worse browser to the best browser, and I think the same is true with hardware.” It’s not a statement more »

Despite negative sentiment, iPhone 4S breaks record with one million pre-orders in 24 hours

Oct 10 by Connor Livingston | 4 comments

News media, investors, and Twitter users everywhere expressed feelings of being “underwhelmed” by the Apple 4S announcement last week, but that didn’t stop the latest iteration from having its best pre-order day ever, breaking the one-million pre-order mark in 24 hours for the first time in company history. The phone is identical to the iPhone 4 in appearance, more »

Netflix aborts Qwikster

Oct 10 by Rocco Penn | add comment

And just like that, it’s gone. Netflix is quickly turning into the faux pas kings of the entertainment world with mistakes, mishaps, missteps, and misunderstandings popping up every couple of weeks. Their latest: the abortion of the new Qwikster brand before it made it out of concept mode. “It is clear more »

American drone weapons consoles infected with keystroke-logging virus

Oct 7 by Rocco Penn | 1 comment

US Predator and Reaper drones in Afghanistan were hacked and a virus inserted into their remote cockpits at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, logging every keystroke their pilots make. These remote drones, arguably the most pivotal piece of American war efforts in Afghanistan over the last 10 more »

Banners aren't dead. They just suck.

Oct 7 by JD Rucker | 1 comment

Most people have grown accustomed to ignoring banner ads. There are browser plugins that block them and filters that hide them. Even when they’re visible, many people simply pretend like they aren’t there. The problem isn’t with the people. They problem is with the ads themselves. In many cases, more »

Sprint is sprinting towards disaster

Oct 7 by Rocco Penn | 3 comments

There are two signs that point to a company entering into “desperation mode”: big cuts and big investments. Big, risky investments often signal prosperity at large companies, but they can also mean the exact opposite as companies try to buy their way out of bad situations and stagnant balance more »

Unlocked, contract-free iPhone 4S coming in November

Oct 7 by Scarlett Madison | 3 comments

The concept of “world phone” that Apple proposed when they first released information about the iPhone 4S is becoming a reality as Apple plans on offering an unlocked, contract-free variation in November that will work on supported international GSM networks as well as AT&T. It will not more »

Twitter denies blocking #OccupyWallStreet from trending

Oct 7 by Connor Livingston | 1 comment

When Justin Bieber stopped trending on Twitter, fans were up in arms. The #occupywallstreet hashtag has never trended and the protesters are starting to take notice, even loosely starting an #occupytwitter hashtag. Much of the claims stem from investment; JP Morgan Chase, one of the targets more »