Thursday, August 23, 2012


Registration is now open for Microsoft’s Windows Upgrade Offer, a program that will provide a deep discount for Windows 8 Pro.

If you have already purchased or plan to buy an eligible Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012 and Jan. 31, 2013, you will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 after the software debuts on Oct. 26. Registration will close on Feb. 28, 2013.

Users running Windows XP or Windows Vista are also eligible for a discounted upgrade. After the October launch date, you can download the update for $39.99 through Windows.com. A physical packaged DVD version will set you back $69.99 at retail stores.

To register for the upgrade, visit the offer website after purchasing your computer. For this part of this process, you will need the date of purchase, retailer, PC brand and model and the 25-digit Windows 7 product key that came with your computer. Starting on Oct. 26, Microsoft will email the promotional codes and instructions for completing the online upgrade.

Microsoft has been aggressive in pricing its latest operating system, which is quite a change of pace from its $119 Windows 7 upgrade in 2009. This could be a strategic move to level the playing field with Apple, which charged just $19.99 for its OS X Mountain Lion upgrade.


Deal Alert: Registration Open for $14.99 Windows 8 Pro Upgrade

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 5:43 AM


Registration is now open for Microsoft’s Windows Upgrade Offer, a program that will provide a deep discount for Windows 8 Pro.

If you have already purchased or plan to buy an eligible Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012 and Jan. 31, 2013, you will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 after the software debuts on Oct. 26. Registration will close on Feb. 28, 2013.

Users running Windows XP or Windows Vista are also eligible for a discounted upgrade. After the October launch date, you can download the update for $39.99 through Windows.com. A physical packaged DVD version will set you back $69.99 at retail stores.

To register for the upgrade, visit the offer website after purchasing your computer. For this part of this process, you will need the date of purchase, retailer, PC brand and model and the 25-digit Windows 7 product key that came with your computer. Starting on Oct. 26, Microsoft will email the promotional codes and instructions for completing the online upgrade.

Microsoft has been aggressive in pricing its latest operating system, which is quite a change of pace from its $119 Windows 7 upgrade in 2009. This could be a strategic move to level the playing field with Apple, which charged just $19.99 for its OS X Mountain Lion upgrade.


Monday, August 6, 2012

Most would agree that having a job is better than not having a job in today’s economy. But therein lies the problem you do the job because you have to, not because you want to. Job seekers not only face a selective job market with high unemployment, but with high underemployment.

Underemployment, despite its advantages over unemployment, is an issue not to be overlooked. It includes people working part-time who would like full-time employment, and people working at lower-level jobs than what they are qualified for, or earning less than they should be, due to the lack of available jobs. According to Gallup data, 18.1% of U.S. adults in the workforce are underemployed, while one in three young adults are underemployed (and twice as likely as older adults to be so).

The disadvantages of underemployment aren’t too different from being unemployed. People seem to lose motivation in their career path and are set back from advancing, potentially for a few years. An even bigger and distinct disadvantage is not having the time to look for employment because of current job obligations.

The recession produced layoffs and a selective job market, leaving many qualified professionals settling for jobs that don’t utilize hard skills and their degree at large. Those baristas with MBAs, those waiters with biochemistry degrees, and those receptionists who went to nursing school are just as unable to find and land the job that’s a fit for them.

The underemployed have a different set of challenges they are more set on building a career with relevant positions, but also need to find these positions without much digging. Fortunately, social networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, make the job search much more direct and accessible. Below, you’ll find three ways to optimize your social networking if you’re one of the many underemployed.

Target Companies

The underemployed aren’t just looking for another position, they are looking for careers. Careers are built by companies, not just one job. Companies related to your degree and career interests will take people with common backgrounds and place them into roles that are challenging, and they’ll advance upward.

Make a list of target companies that offer roles on your projected career path. Follow them on Twitter and LinkedIn, and “like” their Facebook pages. Also look for “insiders,” or current employees, on social media to connect with. Your best bet is to reach out to someone at, or just above, your career level with a similar professional experience and background, and ask a few questions related to the job search and that person’s career.

Don’t simply ask for a job, but see if they can provide insight into the job market in your area, or advice on how they advanced their career, or even if they can connect you with relevant contacts within the company. Do this periodically (set a time about once a week) so that you can start finding better leads to jobs you want and can see yourself enjoying. Even if you’re offered entry-level work, despite ten years in the field or a master’s degree, consider what you can do to advance in the position, or better yet, ways you can meet people in the field more easily if you get your foot in the door.

Target Connections

In line with the tactic of reaching out to insiders, consider tapping into your own extended network. Your co-workers, friends, family and colleagues all serve as connections to jobs within your and their own networks. Remember that connections produce direct opportunities to jobs, whether it’s by a warm lead or through referrals.

When using your social network, be transparent about your job search progress and what you’re looking for through status updates, tweets or your bio. Don’t worry about coming off as desperate, unless you’re literally begging for someone to help you. Just simply state your current situation and what the next best (but relevant) situation you’re looking to gain. For example, “Emerging public relations practitioner looking for opportunities in non-profits and government agencies.” It’ll give everyone who is willing to help a better idea of what you’re fit for when they come across an employment opportunity.

Go in a New Direction

After being unemployed and then underemployed, some may feel their career path is just not working out for them. It may be saturated, or the person might not be in the right area with enough jobs, yet be unable to relocate. For some, changing fields is a last resort. For others, it can be a rewarding way to build a stable career path.

Social networking can ease this transition smoothly. First, meeting professionals in your new career path is easier than ever. You can find them usually occupying industry-related spaces, like Twitter chats or groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. Ask questions, participate in discussion and absorb all the advice you’re given.

Additionally, these social networks are vast in sharing specific career resources conferences, webinars, ebooks anything and everything to craft your hard skills for your new career. Use social media to engage with your connections, and you’ll be able to learn what you need to do to lessen the impact of your minimal work experience.

Being unemployed or underemployed isn’t fun. It’s time consuming and frustrating, to say the least. But, making the most of the connections you have and fully utilizing your social networks can help you determine what direction you need to go in, and how to get yourself where you want to be.

Underemployed? Social Networking Can Help

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 11:16 PM

Most would agree that having a job is better than not having a job in today’s economy. But therein lies the problem you do the job because you have to, not because you want to. Job seekers not only face a selective job market with high unemployment, but with high underemployment.

Underemployment, despite its advantages over unemployment, is an issue not to be overlooked. It includes people working part-time who would like full-time employment, and people working at lower-level jobs than what they are qualified for, or earning less than they should be, due to the lack of available jobs. According to Gallup data, 18.1% of U.S. adults in the workforce are underemployed, while one in three young adults are underemployed (and twice as likely as older adults to be so).

The disadvantages of underemployment aren’t too different from being unemployed. People seem to lose motivation in their career path and are set back from advancing, potentially for a few years. An even bigger and distinct disadvantage is not having the time to look for employment because of current job obligations.

The recession produced layoffs and a selective job market, leaving many qualified professionals settling for jobs that don’t utilize hard skills and their degree at large. Those baristas with MBAs, those waiters with biochemistry degrees, and those receptionists who went to nursing school are just as unable to find and land the job that’s a fit for them.

The underemployed have a different set of challenges they are more set on building a career with relevant positions, but also need to find these positions without much digging. Fortunately, social networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, make the job search much more direct and accessible. Below, you’ll find three ways to optimize your social networking if you’re one of the many underemployed.

Target Companies

The underemployed aren’t just looking for another position, they are looking for careers. Careers are built by companies, not just one job. Companies related to your degree and career interests will take people with common backgrounds and place them into roles that are challenging, and they’ll advance upward.

Make a list of target companies that offer roles on your projected career path. Follow them on Twitter and LinkedIn, and “like” their Facebook pages. Also look for “insiders,” or current employees, on social media to connect with. Your best bet is to reach out to someone at, or just above, your career level with a similar professional experience and background, and ask a few questions related to the job search and that person’s career.

Don’t simply ask for a job, but see if they can provide insight into the job market in your area, or advice on how they advanced their career, or even if they can connect you with relevant contacts within the company. Do this periodically (set a time about once a week) so that you can start finding better leads to jobs you want and can see yourself enjoying. Even if you’re offered entry-level work, despite ten years in the field or a master’s degree, consider what you can do to advance in the position, or better yet, ways you can meet people in the field more easily if you get your foot in the door.

Target Connections

In line with the tactic of reaching out to insiders, consider tapping into your own extended network. Your co-workers, friends, family and colleagues all serve as connections to jobs within your and their own networks. Remember that connections produce direct opportunities to jobs, whether it’s by a warm lead or through referrals.

When using your social network, be transparent about your job search progress and what you’re looking for through status updates, tweets or your bio. Don’t worry about coming off as desperate, unless you’re literally begging for someone to help you. Just simply state your current situation and what the next best (but relevant) situation you’re looking to gain. For example, “Emerging public relations practitioner looking for opportunities in non-profits and government agencies.” It’ll give everyone who is willing to help a better idea of what you’re fit for when they come across an employment opportunity.

Go in a New Direction

After being unemployed and then underemployed, some may feel their career path is just not working out for them. It may be saturated, or the person might not be in the right area with enough jobs, yet be unable to relocate. For some, changing fields is a last resort. For others, it can be a rewarding way to build a stable career path.

Social networking can ease this transition smoothly. First, meeting professionals in your new career path is easier than ever. You can find them usually occupying industry-related spaces, like Twitter chats or groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. Ask questions, participate in discussion and absorb all the advice you’re given.

Additionally, these social networks are vast in sharing specific career resources conferences, webinars, ebooks anything and everything to craft your hard skills for your new career. Use social media to engage with your connections, and you’ll be able to learn what you need to do to lessen the impact of your minimal work experience.

Being unemployed or underemployed isn’t fun. It’s time consuming and frustrating, to say the least. But, making the most of the connections you have and fully utilizing your social networks can help you determine what direction you need to go in, and how to get yourself where you want to be.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Cameron Jankowski allegedly posted a photo of himself taking a leak on a Taco Bell order.

Hacktivist collective Anonymous tweeted a link to a YouTube video that reportedly lists Janowski’s personal details. He was identified as an employee at a Taco Bell restaurant in Fort Wayne, Ind. The video also includes screenshots of tweets that Jankowski posted and retweeted.

Though his account appears to have been deleted, Topsy archived Jankowski’s tweeted photo, which appears to have been posted early Thursday. He directed the tweet to Hunter Moore, the man behind shuttered revenge porn site Is Anyone Up?

Jankowski claimed that the order he urinated on was one that was already messed up. It was thrown away and not served to customers. But some Twitter users suggested his action was a felony.

Janowski apparently claimed he didn’t care that other users were directing his tweet to Taco Bell, claiming he had a new job lined up anyway.

Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and team members. We have strict food handling procedures and zero tolerance for any violations. As soon as we learned of the situation, we immediately investigated and found the photo was an ill-conceived prank and the food was never served to customers. We find this prank absolutely unacceptable, and we plan to terminate anyone involved and work with authorities to pursue legal action.”

Taco Bell Employee Brags on Twitter About Urinating on Food

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:47 AM

Cameron Jankowski allegedly posted a photo of himself taking a leak on a Taco Bell order.

Hacktivist collective Anonymous tweeted a link to a YouTube video that reportedly lists Janowski’s personal details. He was identified as an employee at a Taco Bell restaurant in Fort Wayne, Ind. The video also includes screenshots of tweets that Jankowski posted and retweeted.

Though his account appears to have been deleted, Topsy archived Jankowski’s tweeted photo, which appears to have been posted early Thursday. He directed the tweet to Hunter Moore, the man behind shuttered revenge porn site Is Anyone Up?

Jankowski claimed that the order he urinated on was one that was already messed up. It was thrown away and not served to customers. But some Twitter users suggested his action was a felony.

Janowski apparently claimed he didn’t care that other users were directing his tweet to Taco Bell, claiming he had a new job lined up anyway.

Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and team members. We have strict food handling procedures and zero tolerance for any violations. As soon as we learned of the situation, we immediately investigated and found the photo was an ill-conceived prank and the food was never served to customers. We find this prank absolutely unacceptable, and we plan to terminate anyone involved and work with authorities to pursue legal action.”


How many tech companies do you think have corporate blogs? Given the buzz around content marketing and its importance to branding and reputation building, you’d think most would.

Think again. Fewer than 21% of technology companies have a corporate blog, according to a recent report from Percussion Software. That’s problematic since the same report also suggests that companies with great content on their blogs are perceived to have better, higher-quality products and a more established reputation.

To be clear, we’re not talking about the official Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook blogs, as their audiences are brand loyal and even product updates count as a good read. It’s the smaller or lesser-known brands that need a bit more creativity to turn visitors into dedicated readers.

The following five companies not only have innovative products, but are great examples of insightful blogs that provide their audiences with valuable and compelling content.

1. KISSmetrics

The Product: KISSmetrics is an online analytics platform for websites and e-commerce platforms.

The Target Audience: Website owners who want more conversions.

What Their Blog Does Right: The KISSmetrics blog provides effective tips and tricks for navigating the online world. It’s information like, “8 Habits Of Conversion-Focused Copywriters,” which is useful for just about any site.

How They Engage Readers: There’s a consensus among tech industry influencers that the KISSmetrics blog is where you go to find concrete advice that you can immediately implement. The blog serves up information about a variety of online and content marketing areas, including A/B testing, list building, web design, and analytics.

The blog’s high-quality content reflects how the product is perceived. Even a reader who may not be a direct customer gets the sense that KISSmetrics is a powerful analytics tool. The result is plenty of recurring readers subscribing to the blog by email so as not to miss out on the latest tips.

2. Instagram

The Product: Snap a photo, add a filter. That’s Instagram. If you can’t see the value, that’s okay. At least a few folks thought it was worth $1 billion.

The Target Audience: Any human being with a smartphone will work.

What Their Blog Does Right: Instagram’s blog serves as a platform for users to tell their stories via images. Rather than directly promoting itself, Instagram gives users the power to share themselves via the Instagram product.

How They Engage Readers: The greatest blog feature is “This Weekend’s Hashtag Project,”, which encourages users to take pictures according to specific instructions and add the hashtag of the week to them. Now that’s how a brand really engages their users.

3. Eventbrite

The Product: Eventbrite is an online tool that helps individuals put together events.

The Target Audience: Event creators and their attendees.

What Their Blog Does Right: They connect event attendees to the real people behind the events.

How They Engage Readers: As stated in their manifesto, Eventbrite’s mission is to make events as easy as possible to create, find, and attend. Their blog helps companies achieve this goal through the “meet the organizer” section, which spotlights various event organizers who explain their event and what they’re trying to accomplish. This is a really effective way of drawing in a bigger audience.

4. Buffer

The Product: Buffer is a smart tool that helps you schedule your social posts at a prime time so most of your users actually see them.

The Target Audience: Anyone who is looking to get a lot of shares, re-tweets, mentions, and likes will find this useful.

What Their Blog Does Right: The Buffer blog takes social sharing to another level, providing very unique insights into the world of social media, such as how certain human behaviors impact our sharing behavior.

How They Engage Readers: The company’s blog voice is what makes it special, giving their topics a pseudo-philosophical twist with posts like “how our brains work.”

5. Wix

The Product: Wix is a great platform for creating HTML5/Flash websites.
The Target Audience: Anyone with a need for a website that looks awesome and who doesn’t necessarily have the means to create one from scratch.

What Their Blog Does Right: They emphasize the fun and creative aspects of website creation.

How They Engage Readers: The Wix blog consistently offers sassy articles on web design, mobile development, and new technologies. Following the announcement of their new HTML5 platform, they started emphasizing the new technology by filling their blog with great infographics, like “The History of HTML5.”

5 Tech Companies That Get Content Marketing Right

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:23 AM


How many tech companies do you think have corporate blogs? Given the buzz around content marketing and its importance to branding and reputation building, you’d think most would.

Think again. Fewer than 21% of technology companies have a corporate blog, according to a recent report from Percussion Software. That’s problematic since the same report also suggests that companies with great content on their blogs are perceived to have better, higher-quality products and a more established reputation.

To be clear, we’re not talking about the official Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook blogs, as their audiences are brand loyal and even product updates count as a good read. It’s the smaller or lesser-known brands that need a bit more creativity to turn visitors into dedicated readers.

The following five companies not only have innovative products, but are great examples of insightful blogs that provide their audiences with valuable and compelling content.

1. KISSmetrics

The Product: KISSmetrics is an online analytics platform for websites and e-commerce platforms.

The Target Audience: Website owners who want more conversions.

What Their Blog Does Right: The KISSmetrics blog provides effective tips and tricks for navigating the online world. It’s information like, “8 Habits Of Conversion-Focused Copywriters,” which is useful for just about any site.

How They Engage Readers: There’s a consensus among tech industry influencers that the KISSmetrics blog is where you go to find concrete advice that you can immediately implement. The blog serves up information about a variety of online and content marketing areas, including A/B testing, list building, web design, and analytics.

The blog’s high-quality content reflects how the product is perceived. Even a reader who may not be a direct customer gets the sense that KISSmetrics is a powerful analytics tool. The result is plenty of recurring readers subscribing to the blog by email so as not to miss out on the latest tips.

2. Instagram

The Product: Snap a photo, add a filter. That’s Instagram. If you can’t see the value, that’s okay. At least a few folks thought it was worth $1 billion.

The Target Audience: Any human being with a smartphone will work.

What Their Blog Does Right: Instagram’s blog serves as a platform for users to tell their stories via images. Rather than directly promoting itself, Instagram gives users the power to share themselves via the Instagram product.

How They Engage Readers: The greatest blog feature is “This Weekend’s Hashtag Project,”, which encourages users to take pictures according to specific instructions and add the hashtag of the week to them. Now that’s how a brand really engages their users.

3. Eventbrite

The Product: Eventbrite is an online tool that helps individuals put together events.

The Target Audience: Event creators and their attendees.

What Their Blog Does Right: They connect event attendees to the real people behind the events.

How They Engage Readers: As stated in their manifesto, Eventbrite’s mission is to make events as easy as possible to create, find, and attend. Their blog helps companies achieve this goal through the “meet the organizer” section, which spotlights various event organizers who explain their event and what they’re trying to accomplish. This is a really effective way of drawing in a bigger audience.

4. Buffer

The Product: Buffer is a smart tool that helps you schedule your social posts at a prime time so most of your users actually see them.

The Target Audience: Anyone who is looking to get a lot of shares, re-tweets, mentions, and likes will find this useful.

What Their Blog Does Right: The Buffer blog takes social sharing to another level, providing very unique insights into the world of social media, such as how certain human behaviors impact our sharing behavior.

How They Engage Readers: The company’s blog voice is what makes it special, giving their topics a pseudo-philosophical twist with posts like “how our brains work.”

5. Wix

The Product: Wix is a great platform for creating HTML5/Flash websites.
The Target Audience: Anyone with a need for a website that looks awesome and who doesn’t necessarily have the means to create one from scratch.

What Their Blog Does Right: They emphasize the fun and creative aspects of website creation.

How They Engage Readers: The Wix blog consistently offers sassy articles on web design, mobile development, and new technologies. Following the announcement of their new HTML5 platform, they started emphasizing the new technology by filling their blog with great infographics, like “The History of HTML5.”

Crowdfunding can be a great way to get a charity or creative project off the ground if you’re starved for cash. Now, apparently, more established business owners are turning to it too.

Case in point: Reality star-turned-fashion designer Whitney Port has taken to Indiegogo with the goal of raising $50,000 to show her clothing line, Whitney Eve, at New York Fashion Week come September.

The money will be spent on the necessary components of a successful runway show namely models, a stylist, DJ, space fee and payment for a production company.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Port’s estimated worth is $3.5 million.

“You guys [friends and fans] are so important to me, so I want you to be a part of this and see what it takes to put on an amazing fashion show,” Port says in the video touting her event.

Unlike Kickstarter, which maintains a specific focus through project guidlines, Indiegogo is an open platform.

We’ve seen the site fund some very worthwhile causes such as a vacation for one harassed school bus monitor, but this request from Port feels like an attempt to gain publicity more than cash.

Port is offering 11 different perks based on your donation. One dollar will earn you a shout-out on Facebook, while $450 will earn you front row seats at the show you helped pay for.

Port has currently raised just $2,546 with 39 days remaining.

Millionaire Fashion Designer Wants Your Funding

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:17 AM

Crowdfunding can be a great way to get a charity or creative project off the ground if you’re starved for cash. Now, apparently, more established business owners are turning to it too.

Case in point: Reality star-turned-fashion designer Whitney Port has taken to Indiegogo with the goal of raising $50,000 to show her clothing line, Whitney Eve, at New York Fashion Week come September.

The money will be spent on the necessary components of a successful runway show namely models, a stylist, DJ, space fee and payment for a production company.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Port’s estimated worth is $3.5 million.

“You guys [friends and fans] are so important to me, so I want you to be a part of this and see what it takes to put on an amazing fashion show,” Port says in the video touting her event.

Unlike Kickstarter, which maintains a specific focus through project guidlines, Indiegogo is an open platform.

We’ve seen the site fund some very worthwhile causes such as a vacation for one harassed school bus monitor, but this request from Port feels like an attempt to gain publicity more than cash.

Port is offering 11 different perks based on your donation. One dollar will earn you a shout-out on Facebook, while $450 will earn you front row seats at the show you helped pay for.

Port has currently raised just $2,546 with 39 days remaining.

Cord-cutting startup Aereo announced new pricing plans for its service on Thursday, including a “try for free” plan.

Aereo allows users to watch live broadcast-- television from an iPhone, iPad, Mac running Apple Safari or Roku device.

Users can also record programs on a cloud-based DVR for access in the future. For now, the service is only open to users in New York.

Aereo is a disruptive company. Before the service even--- launched, it was already being sued by local and national broadcasters. The networks allege that Aereo is violating re-transmission laws and guidelines and violating their copyright. For its part, Aereo says that everything it is doing is covered by legal precedent.

Last month, Aereo got an early win in its battle with broadcasters when a federal judge refused to grant an injunction against the service. That means that Aereo can--- continue to operate and expand into new markets while litigation is taking place.

This sort of litigation could take years to resolve--- but with the first major hurdle out of the way, the company is ready to move forward.

Better Pricing

When Aereo soft-launched back in February, the company had basic pricing plan of $12 a month for unlimited content and 40 hours of space on a DVR (users have access to two tuners, which means that they can record two shows at once or --watch one show live while recording another).

When I spoke with Kanojia at Aereo’s first launch event, he didn’t seem married to the pricing structure recognizing that extended user feedback would--- be needed to reach the right price point.

He reiterated that outlook to me last week, explaining that--- after looking at the space and speaking with customers, it seemed “silly to have--- one-size fits all pricing,” especially for a service like Aereo, which aims to disrupt traditional viewing models.

Aereo now has five price plans. On the low end, users can try Aereo for one continuous hour a day for free no credit card required.This is a great way for users to get a taste of the experience, user interface and picture quality.

For users that might want to watch more than an hour of television, but don’t want to pay for an entire month of service, Aereo also offers a new Day Pass. For $1, users get access to Aereo for 24 hours. Moreover, they can record up to 3 hours of programming and will have 10 days to watch their recordings for free.

The monthly plans now start at $8 for 20 hours of DVR storage. For $12, users still get 40 hours of storage, just like before. Both monthly plans also offer a free second month for users.

For users willing to pay in advance, they can get Aereo for $80 a year. Annual plan users will also get three months of service for free. That ends up working out to about $5.30 a month which is less than Netflix, Hulu Plus or Amazon Prime.

To us, the most compelling offerings are the annual plan and the day pass. As we’ve seen with the Olympics, there are lots of users who want to tune into live sporting events, but don’t necessarily want (or need) to own a traditional television set or antenna. The great thing about a day pass is that a user can buy it for the big game and then be done no recurring charge.

The Future: More Devices and More Cities

Beyond the new pricing plans, Aereo also has its eyes firmly on the future. Kanojia told me that in the next few weeks, users can expect support for Aereo on Android and in other web browsers.

Aereo works using HTML5 and its video quality is incredibly good every bit as good, if not better, than the HD cable stream I get from my cable provider or an online stream from TV Everywhere providers such as CNN and HBO Go.

To ensure that level of quality, Aereo needs to build its streaming output engine for different device types. iOS and Roku have robust standards streaming--- live video, which is why those devices were available at launch. The Aereo team has had time to work out the requirements for other platforms, so Android and Chrome users can soon expect to see Aereo on their devices.

Aereo also has big plans for expansion. Immediately after the court ruled in Aereo’s favor ---denying a preliminary injunction against the service----Aereo investor and uber media mogul Barry Diller announced that the company would be coming to more cities.

Kanojia told me that the company is actively looking to expand into every major television market--- think Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, etc. starting in 2013.

Aereo Makes Cutting the Cord Even Easier, And Cheaper

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:10 AM

Cord-cutting startup Aereo announced new pricing plans for its service on Thursday, including a “try for free” plan.

Aereo allows users to watch live broadcast-- television from an iPhone, iPad, Mac running Apple Safari or Roku device.

Users can also record programs on a cloud-based DVR for access in the future. For now, the service is only open to users in New York.

Aereo is a disruptive company. Before the service even--- launched, it was already being sued by local and national broadcasters. The networks allege that Aereo is violating re-transmission laws and guidelines and violating their copyright. For its part, Aereo says that everything it is doing is covered by legal precedent.

Last month, Aereo got an early win in its battle with broadcasters when a federal judge refused to grant an injunction against the service. That means that Aereo can--- continue to operate and expand into new markets while litigation is taking place.

This sort of litigation could take years to resolve--- but with the first major hurdle out of the way, the company is ready to move forward.

Better Pricing

When Aereo soft-launched back in February, the company had basic pricing plan of $12 a month for unlimited content and 40 hours of space on a DVR (users have access to two tuners, which means that they can record two shows at once or --watch one show live while recording another).

When I spoke with Kanojia at Aereo’s first launch event, he didn’t seem married to the pricing structure recognizing that extended user feedback would--- be needed to reach the right price point.

He reiterated that outlook to me last week, explaining that--- after looking at the space and speaking with customers, it seemed “silly to have--- one-size fits all pricing,” especially for a service like Aereo, which aims to disrupt traditional viewing models.

Aereo now has five price plans. On the low end, users can try Aereo for one continuous hour a day for free no credit card required.This is a great way for users to get a taste of the experience, user interface and picture quality.

For users that might want to watch more than an hour of television, but don’t want to pay for an entire month of service, Aereo also offers a new Day Pass. For $1, users get access to Aereo for 24 hours. Moreover, they can record up to 3 hours of programming and will have 10 days to watch their recordings for free.

The monthly plans now start at $8 for 20 hours of DVR storage. For $12, users still get 40 hours of storage, just like before. Both monthly plans also offer a free second month for users.

For users willing to pay in advance, they can get Aereo for $80 a year. Annual plan users will also get three months of service for free. That ends up working out to about $5.30 a month which is less than Netflix, Hulu Plus or Amazon Prime.

To us, the most compelling offerings are the annual plan and the day pass. As we’ve seen with the Olympics, there are lots of users who want to tune into live sporting events, but don’t necessarily want (or need) to own a traditional television set or antenna. The great thing about a day pass is that a user can buy it for the big game and then be done no recurring charge.

The Future: More Devices and More Cities

Beyond the new pricing plans, Aereo also has its eyes firmly on the future. Kanojia told me that in the next few weeks, users can expect support for Aereo on Android and in other web browsers.

Aereo works using HTML5 and its video quality is incredibly good every bit as good, if not better, than the HD cable stream I get from my cable provider or an online stream from TV Everywhere providers such as CNN and HBO Go.

To ensure that level of quality, Aereo needs to build its streaming output engine for different device types. iOS and Roku have robust standards streaming--- live video, which is why those devices were available at launch. The Aereo team has had time to work out the requirements for other platforms, so Android and Chrome users can soon expect to see Aereo on their devices.

Aereo also has big plans for expansion. Immediately after the court ruled in Aereo’s favor ---denying a preliminary injunction against the service----Aereo investor and uber media mogul Barry Diller announced that the company would be coming to more cities.

Kanojia told me that the company is actively looking to expand into every major television market--- think Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, etc. starting in 2013.

In yet another example of why you shouldn’t text and drive, an Texas-- college student drove off a cliff while texting.

Fortunately, he survived, but incurred some serious injuries. After six months of recovering, he’s finally able to talk about it.

Right before Chance Bothe’s truck-- went over a cliff, he texted, “I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident.”

Bothe suffered a broken neck, a crushed face, a fractured skull and traumatic brain injuries, a local news station reported. He was brought back to life three times by doctors.

Lately, texting-- while walking has been an increasing issue-- for law enforcement. Distracted walkers can cause accidents or get themselves into dangerous situations.

We told you earlier this-- week about a Philadelphia man being so distracted by talking on his cellphone, that he fell onto train tracks and was knocked unconscious. Luckily for him, no trains were headed to the station at that time.

Cellphone distraction also infamously-- caused a man to nearly walk into a brown-- bear and resulted in one woman’s embarrassing moment falling into a mall fountain.

Earlier this summer, we asked you if you think texting-- while walking should be illegal. The majority-- of you said no, but had strong opinions about the dangers of texting and walking.

Student Texted About Quitting Texting While Driving Off Cliff, Lived

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:05 AM

In yet another example of why you shouldn’t text and drive, an Texas-- college student drove off a cliff while texting.

Fortunately, he survived, but incurred some serious injuries. After six months of recovering, he’s finally able to talk about it.

Right before Chance Bothe’s truck-- went over a cliff, he texted, “I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident.”

Bothe suffered a broken neck, a crushed face, a fractured skull and traumatic brain injuries, a local news station reported. He was brought back to life three times by doctors.

Lately, texting-- while walking has been an increasing issue-- for law enforcement. Distracted walkers can cause accidents or get themselves into dangerous situations.

We told you earlier this-- week about a Philadelphia man being so distracted by talking on his cellphone, that he fell onto train tracks and was knocked unconscious. Luckily for him, no trains were headed to the station at that time.

Cellphone distraction also infamously-- caused a man to nearly walk into a brown-- bear and resulted in one woman’s embarrassing moment falling into a mall fountain.

Earlier this summer, we asked you if you think texting-- while walking should be illegal. The majority-- of you said no, but had strong opinions about the dangers of texting and walking.


LinkedIn now has 175 million members, the company-- announced on Thursday.

In May, the professional social networking service had claimed 161 million --members, up from 150 million in February.

The company announced the figure in its second-quarter earnings release on Thursday, in which it also reported earnings of $0.03 per share on revenues of $228 million. Analysts were-- expecting earnings of $.01 per share and revenues of $216 million. The company’s stock price was up more than 4% in after-hours trading.

LinkedIn’s stock price has jumped 48.5% since the-- beginning of the year.

LinkedIn Now Has 175 Million Members

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:02 AM


LinkedIn now has 175 million members, the company-- announced on Thursday.

In May, the professional social networking service had claimed 161 million --members, up from 150 million in February.

The company announced the figure in its second-quarter earnings release on Thursday, in which it also reported earnings of $0.03 per share on revenues of $228 million. Analysts were-- expecting earnings of $.01 per share and revenues of $216 million. The company’s stock price was up more than 4% in after-hours trading.

LinkedIn’s stock price has jumped 48.5% since the-- beginning of the year.

Saturday, August 4, 2012


Huffington, the weekly iPad magazine from AOL’s Huffington Post Media Group, is now available for free in Apple’s Newsstand.

The magazine launched in mid-June as part of a call for a “slow news movement,” an opportunity for The Huffington Post‘s readers to sit back and dive more broadly and deeply into stories outside of the fast-paced, incrementally focused environment of web journalism. It is edited by Tim O’Brien, formerly the editor of The New York Times‘s Sunday business section, and features a mix of long-form features, short reviews and multimedia ranging from photographs to videos and interactive infographics.

The magazine, which is released on Fridays, was formerly priced at $0.99 per issue or $1.99 per week after a one-month free trial. The app has been downloaded about 115,000 times, Joe Pompeo reports.

It’s hard to believe The Huffington Post would come to this conclusion after the magazine launched we suspect subscriptions weren’t high enough to justify it as a premium product. Better, perhaps, to have more users and generate more impressions for advertisers. And, who knows, maybe layoffs at The Daily had something to do with the outcome.

From now on, Huffington will be supported entirely by advertisers. Right now, Toyota remains the sole advertiser, a spokesperson confirmed.

‘Huffington’ iPad Magazine Goes Free

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:52 AM


Huffington, the weekly iPad magazine from AOL’s Huffington Post Media Group, is now available for free in Apple’s Newsstand.

The magazine launched in mid-June as part of a call for a “slow news movement,” an opportunity for The Huffington Post‘s readers to sit back and dive more broadly and deeply into stories outside of the fast-paced, incrementally focused environment of web journalism. It is edited by Tim O’Brien, formerly the editor of The New York Times‘s Sunday business section, and features a mix of long-form features, short reviews and multimedia ranging from photographs to videos and interactive infographics.

The magazine, which is released on Fridays, was formerly priced at $0.99 per issue or $1.99 per week after a one-month free trial. The app has been downloaded about 115,000 times, Joe Pompeo reports.

It’s hard to believe The Huffington Post would come to this conclusion after the magazine launched we suspect subscriptions weren’t high enough to justify it as a premium product. Better, perhaps, to have more users and generate more impressions for advertisers. And, who knows, maybe layoffs at The Daily had something to do with the outcome.

From now on, Huffington will be supported entirely by advertisers. Right now, Toyota remains the sole advertiser, a spokesperson confirmed.

A recently released survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project confirms that others share one of your biggest cellphone problems dropped calls.

72% of cellphone owners said they experience dropped calls at least occasionally. And 32% of cellphone users say they experience this problem at least a few times a week or more. If you’re a smartphone owner versus a basic cellphone user, the list of problems with your mobile device is likely to be longer smartphone owners reported more problems with their phones.

Dropped calls have been an issue for a number of phone makers, but they plague one carrier in particular AT&T. Apple’s iPhone 4 on AT&T would reportedly drop calls if held in a certain way which became known as the “death grip.” Apple offered its customers a free bumper case to prevent dropped calls, after a class-action lawsuit was filed. Verizon’s iPhone 4 also developed a reputation for easily dropping calls, so much so that it failed to make Consumer Reports list of recommended phones. The same publication named AT&T “the worst carrier” in 2010.


Spam texts and slow download speeds on mobile devices are also common complaints of cellphone users. 69% of cellphone users say they receive unwanted spam text messages, and more than three quarters cite slow Internet speeds as keeping them from getting the most out of their device.
Some other interesting stats from the Pew study include:
  • 68% of cell owners receive unwanted sales or marketing calls at one time or another. And 25% of cell owners encounter this problem at least a few times a week or more frequently.
  • Of the 69% text message users who said they receive unwanted spam or text messages, 25% face problems with spam/unwanted texts at least weekly.
It would seem consumers are expecting better. “The big change that mobile connectivity has brought to users is the instant availability of people and data,” Jan Lauren Boyles, a Pew Internet and American Life Project researcher who authored this report, said in a statement. “As mobile owners become fond of just-in-time access to others and as their expectations about getting real-time information rise, they depend on the cell phone’s technical reliability. Any problems that snag, stall, or stop users from connecting to the material and people they seek is at least a hassle to them and sometimes is even more disturbing than that in this networked world.”

Dropped Calls Are Cellphone Owners’ Biggest Complaint [STUDY]

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:45 AM

A recently released survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project confirms that others share one of your biggest cellphone problems dropped calls.

72% of cellphone owners said they experience dropped calls at least occasionally. And 32% of cellphone users say they experience this problem at least a few times a week or more. If you’re a smartphone owner versus a basic cellphone user, the list of problems with your mobile device is likely to be longer smartphone owners reported more problems with their phones.

Dropped calls have been an issue for a number of phone makers, but they plague one carrier in particular AT&T. Apple’s iPhone 4 on AT&T would reportedly drop calls if held in a certain way which became known as the “death grip.” Apple offered its customers a free bumper case to prevent dropped calls, after a class-action lawsuit was filed. Verizon’s iPhone 4 also developed a reputation for easily dropping calls, so much so that it failed to make Consumer Reports list of recommended phones. The same publication named AT&T “the worst carrier” in 2010.


Spam texts and slow download speeds on mobile devices are also common complaints of cellphone users. 69% of cellphone users say they receive unwanted spam text messages, and more than three quarters cite slow Internet speeds as keeping them from getting the most out of their device.
Some other interesting stats from the Pew study include:
  • 68% of cell owners receive unwanted sales or marketing calls at one time or another. And 25% of cell owners encounter this problem at least a few times a week or more frequently.
  • Of the 69% text message users who said they receive unwanted spam or text messages, 25% face problems with spam/unwanted texts at least weekly.
It would seem consumers are expecting better. “The big change that mobile connectivity has brought to users is the instant availability of people and data,” Jan Lauren Boyles, a Pew Internet and American Life Project researcher who authored this report, said in a statement. “As mobile owners become fond of just-in-time access to others and as their expectations about getting real-time information rise, they depend on the cell phone’s technical reliability. Any problems that snag, stall, or stop users from connecting to the material and people they seek is at least a hassle to them and sometimes is even more disturbing than that in this networked world.”

Loaning your car to strangers on Getaround just got a whole lot easier with Getaway, a new service launched Thursday.

Never again let your car sit in the garage during a long vacation, or have to leave it collecting dirt in your parent’s driveway when you go to college. Getaway will loan it out for you and possibly bring in some hefty change.

Getaround is like Airbnb for cars. Register your car on the site, decide pricing and rent it out when you’re not using it. This not only helps car owners reel-in money, but could positively impact the environment by taking new cars off the road.

But it takes some work replying to people who want to borrow your car, scheduling rental times and doing the key-hand off if you decline the Carkit (a proprietary device that lets you unlock your vehicle from your iPhone). With Getaway, simply put your vehicle in the hands of Getaround and they’ll manage everything from pricing, renting, maintenance and insurance.

The service is marketed toward college students, honeymooners, members of the military traveling overseas or anyone who’s not going to use their car for an extended period of time and don’t want to bother with trying to rent it out.

“Getaway was a response to people who didn’t have time to manage their own rental,” said Jessica Scorpio, founder of Getaround.Getaway is launching in beta in San Francisco and Chicago.


And the money you can make is impressive, too. Getaround users make around $350 each month. But after a trial period with the fully-managed Getaway service, Scorpio said customers are likely to make $1,000 per month from their vehicle. Getaway is so sure that you’ll pull in cash from your car, they offer a $1,000 guarantee for the first three months.

With Getaway, the “Customer Happiness Team” decides the rental pricing of the vehicle, unlike with Getaround where users set their own pricing. Of course, pricing depends on the type and condition of the car. They recommend cars not be older than five years and have less than 100,000 miles to earn $1,000 per month. But you can register an old beater car on the site, although it may not get rented.

Getaway subscribers will get the Carkit installed in their vehicles, plus security features like GPS to track the car.

With Getaround and Getaway, Scorpio says they conduct “rigorous driver screenings,” meaning no renter can have anything serious such as a DUI on their driving record in the past 7 years. There is also a late fee if the borrower returns the car after their scheduled rental drop-off time. But Scorpio says having a community makes people more responsible and they’re more likely to stick to the allotted time they rent the car.

Getaround also announced on Thursday it’s secured $13.9 million in series A funding. Funders include Marissa Mayer, Ashton Kutcher and Innovations Endeavours.

Getaround is available in four markets San Francisco, Austin, Portland and San Diego. With this new round of funding, Scorpio says they plan to rapidly expand Getaround and its Getaway services to new markets.

“We are looking at partnerships that will continue to spread adoption and improve the experience,” Scorpio said.

Scorpio started working on Getaround in 2009. At Singular University, her and co-founder Sam Zaid were challenged by Larry Page to come up with an idea that could positively impact a billion people. They focused on transportation overpopulation and came up with Getaround.

Getaround is not the only service that lets you rent your car out to other drivers. OnStar’s car sharing program called RelayRides launched last month says it could also help you earn $600-$1,000 more each month. And WhipCar for London residents lets you borrow the vehicle next door, or down the street.

Getaway Rents Out Your Car for You

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:20 AM

Loaning your car to strangers on Getaround just got a whole lot easier with Getaway, a new service launched Thursday.

Never again let your car sit in the garage during a long vacation, or have to leave it collecting dirt in your parent’s driveway when you go to college. Getaway will loan it out for you and possibly bring in some hefty change.

Getaround is like Airbnb for cars. Register your car on the site, decide pricing and rent it out when you’re not using it. This not only helps car owners reel-in money, but could positively impact the environment by taking new cars off the road.

But it takes some work replying to people who want to borrow your car, scheduling rental times and doing the key-hand off if you decline the Carkit (a proprietary device that lets you unlock your vehicle from your iPhone). With Getaway, simply put your vehicle in the hands of Getaround and they’ll manage everything from pricing, renting, maintenance and insurance.

The service is marketed toward college students, honeymooners, members of the military traveling overseas or anyone who’s not going to use their car for an extended period of time and don’t want to bother with trying to rent it out.

“Getaway was a response to people who didn’t have time to manage their own rental,” said Jessica Scorpio, founder of Getaround.Getaway is launching in beta in San Francisco and Chicago.


And the money you can make is impressive, too. Getaround users make around $350 each month. But after a trial period with the fully-managed Getaway service, Scorpio said customers are likely to make $1,000 per month from their vehicle. Getaway is so sure that you’ll pull in cash from your car, they offer a $1,000 guarantee for the first three months.

With Getaway, the “Customer Happiness Team” decides the rental pricing of the vehicle, unlike with Getaround where users set their own pricing. Of course, pricing depends on the type and condition of the car. They recommend cars not be older than five years and have less than 100,000 miles to earn $1,000 per month. But you can register an old beater car on the site, although it may not get rented.

Getaway subscribers will get the Carkit installed in their vehicles, plus security features like GPS to track the car.

With Getaround and Getaway, Scorpio says they conduct “rigorous driver screenings,” meaning no renter can have anything serious such as a DUI on their driving record in the past 7 years. There is also a late fee if the borrower returns the car after their scheduled rental drop-off time. But Scorpio says having a community makes people more responsible and they’re more likely to stick to the allotted time they rent the car.

Getaround also announced on Thursday it’s secured $13.9 million in series A funding. Funders include Marissa Mayer, Ashton Kutcher and Innovations Endeavours.

Getaround is available in four markets San Francisco, Austin, Portland and San Diego. With this new round of funding, Scorpio says they plan to rapidly expand Getaround and its Getaway services to new markets.

“We are looking at partnerships that will continue to spread adoption and improve the experience,” Scorpio said.

Scorpio started working on Getaround in 2009. At Singular University, her and co-founder Sam Zaid were challenged by Larry Page to come up with an idea that could positively impact a billion people. They focused on transportation overpopulation and came up with Getaround.

Getaround is not the only service that lets you rent your car out to other drivers. OnStar’s car sharing program called RelayRides launched last month says it could also help you earn $600-$1,000 more each month. And WhipCar for London residents lets you borrow the vehicle next door, or down the street.

Facebook’s stock price plunged to a new low on Thursday, dipping for the first time below $20 almost half the price it debuted at in May.

The latest figures put the company’s market cap at around $43 billion a far cry from the $100 billion-plus valuation that had been touted prior to the IPO. However, since the company went public, investors have increasingly fretted that the company is poised to lose revenues as users migrate to mobile platforms.

Facebook Stock Price Drops Below $20

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:16 AM

Facebook’s stock price plunged to a new low on Thursday, dipping for the first time below $20 almost half the price it debuted at in May.

The latest figures put the company’s market cap at around $43 billion a far cry from the $100 billion-plus valuation that had been touted prior to the IPO. However, since the company went public, investors have increasingly fretted that the company is poised to lose revenues as users migrate to mobile platforms.

Facebook took the wraps off Facebook Stories Thursday, a section designed “to celebrate the different stories that are coming out of Facebook,” according to a spokesperson’s description.

The first issue of Facebook Stories, which resides at facebookstories.com, centers on “remembering.” A video at the top of the page tells the moving story of Mayank Sharma, who used Facebook’s “People You May Know” tool to contact old acquaintances and reconstruct his life history after being diagnosed with meningitis at age 27. A separate page serves up stories on memory from The New Yorker‘s archives, courtesy of the magazine’s librarians. Ari Shapiro, NPR’s White House correspondent, shares “one memory he’ll never forget,” and author and journalist Joshua Foer shares a list of books on memory that informed his own on the subject.

The remaining pieces, written by a mix of freelancers and Facebook employees whose job titles contain the word “editor,” tell of other interesting uses of the social network to save decaying landmarks and inspire art.

The point of it all? A Facebook spokesperson tells me that an “overwhelming outpouring of people” e-mail the company’s press account to share how they’ve used the site “to leverage connections, deliver social value to their communities and work through adversity in their own lives. We wanted to build a place where they can live and be showcased and celebrated, and also to give them some context.”

The social network launched a similar, less formal project as a Facebook application under the same name in 2010, which asked users to submit their stories to be shared with other users of the app. The application was deleted sometime in early 2011. The new Facebook stories is “a separate effort from a different team,” a spokesperson tells me.

The new Facebook Stories is almost identical in nature to Twitter Stories and Tumblr’s Storyboard, both of which detail how individuals are using those platforms through short articles, photographs and videos. Of the two, Tumblr’s is the more robust, with one or more new stories per day, whereas Twitter has published just two three-paragraph stories since mid-April.

New ‘Facebook Stories’ Reveals Human Drama Within

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:09 AM

Facebook took the wraps off Facebook Stories Thursday, a section designed “to celebrate the different stories that are coming out of Facebook,” according to a spokesperson’s description.

The first issue of Facebook Stories, which resides at facebookstories.com, centers on “remembering.” A video at the top of the page tells the moving story of Mayank Sharma, who used Facebook’s “People You May Know” tool to contact old acquaintances and reconstruct his life history after being diagnosed with meningitis at age 27. A separate page serves up stories on memory from The New Yorker‘s archives, courtesy of the magazine’s librarians. Ari Shapiro, NPR’s White House correspondent, shares “one memory he’ll never forget,” and author and journalist Joshua Foer shares a list of books on memory that informed his own on the subject.

The remaining pieces, written by a mix of freelancers and Facebook employees whose job titles contain the word “editor,” tell of other interesting uses of the social network to save decaying landmarks and inspire art.

The point of it all? A Facebook spokesperson tells me that an “overwhelming outpouring of people” e-mail the company’s press account to share how they’ve used the site “to leverage connections, deliver social value to their communities and work through adversity in their own lives. We wanted to build a place where they can live and be showcased and celebrated, and also to give them some context.”

The social network launched a similar, less formal project as a Facebook application under the same name in 2010, which asked users to submit their stories to be shared with other users of the app. The application was deleted sometime in early 2011. The new Facebook stories is “a separate effort from a different team,” a spokesperson tells me.

The new Facebook Stories is almost identical in nature to Twitter Stories and Tumblr’s Storyboard, both of which detail how individuals are using those platforms through short articles, photographs and videos. Of the two, Tumblr’s is the more robust, with one or more new stories per day, whereas Twitter has published just two three-paragraph stories since mid-April.


The developer of a Facebook app has gone public with a post claiming that Facebook executives tried to hire him because the company was building a similar app.

While the idea of an “aqui-hire” might not sound bad to some, Dalton Caldwell, the CEO of App.net, charges that Facebook uses its heft to intimidate developers like himself rather than help build up the app community.
Reps from Facebook could not be reached for comment.

In a post entitled “Dear Mark Zuckerberg,” Dalton claims he visited Facebook’s Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters on June 13 and met with several execs at the company. “I was hoping the outcome of this meeting would be executive-level support for my impending product launch,” Caldwell wrote. Instead, Caldwell found that Facebook had a different motivation:

The meeting took an odd turn when the individuals in the room explained that the product I was building was competitive with your recently announced Facebook App Center product. Your executives explained to me that they would hate to have to compete with the “interesting product” I had built, and that since I am a “nice guy with a good reputation” that they wanted to acquire my company to help build App Center.I quickly became skeptical and explained that I was not interested in an acqui-hire. I said that if Facebook wanted to have a serious conversation about acquiring my team and product, I would entertain the idea. Otherwise, I had zero interest in seeing my product shut down and joining Facebook. I told your team I would rather reboot my company than go down that route.
Caldwell added that the platform developer relations exec at the meeting didn’t help defend his position. Rather, the exec told Caldwell that he was recently put in charge of App Center and because of new ad units the company was building he was now responsible for $1 billion in revenues. “The execs in the room made clear that the success of my product would be an impediment to your ad revenue financial goals, and thus even offering me the chance to be acquired was a noble and kind move on their part,” Caldwell wrote.
Finding no sympathetic ears in the company, Caldwell penned the missive directed at Zuckerberg.

Mark, I don’t believe that the humans working at Facebook or Twitter want to do the wrong thing. The problem is, employees at Facebook and Twitter are watching your stock price fall, and that is causing them to freak out. Your company, and Twitter, has demonstrably proven that you are willing to screw with users and 3rd-party developer ecosystems, all in the name of ad-revenue. Once you start down the slippery-slope of messing with developers and users, I don’t have any confidence you will stop.

Caldwell never explains what his app is. In a string of comments on Hacker News, some criticized the developer for complaining about what appeared to be a good deal from Facebook. Others, however, pointed out that Facebook’s position appeared to be “join us or die.” Beyond taking sides in the spat, though, one pointed out that Caldwell’s argument is itself a negotiation tactic: “It’s a game, FB used hard tactics, now he is using public sentiment. It is just an money game in the end. Blog posts like this just hurt both companies perceptions.”

Developer Claims Facebook Tried to Destroy His Business

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:08 AM


The developer of a Facebook app has gone public with a post claiming that Facebook executives tried to hire him because the company was building a similar app.

While the idea of an “aqui-hire” might not sound bad to some, Dalton Caldwell, the CEO of App.net, charges that Facebook uses its heft to intimidate developers like himself rather than help build up the app community.
Reps from Facebook could not be reached for comment.

In a post entitled “Dear Mark Zuckerberg,” Dalton claims he visited Facebook’s Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters on June 13 and met with several execs at the company. “I was hoping the outcome of this meeting would be executive-level support for my impending product launch,” Caldwell wrote. Instead, Caldwell found that Facebook had a different motivation:

The meeting took an odd turn when the individuals in the room explained that the product I was building was competitive with your recently announced Facebook App Center product. Your executives explained to me that they would hate to have to compete with the “interesting product” I had built, and that since I am a “nice guy with a good reputation” that they wanted to acquire my company to help build App Center.I quickly became skeptical and explained that I was not interested in an acqui-hire. I said that if Facebook wanted to have a serious conversation about acquiring my team and product, I would entertain the idea. Otherwise, I had zero interest in seeing my product shut down and joining Facebook. I told your team I would rather reboot my company than go down that route.
Caldwell added that the platform developer relations exec at the meeting didn’t help defend his position. Rather, the exec told Caldwell that he was recently put in charge of App Center and because of new ad units the company was building he was now responsible for $1 billion in revenues. “The execs in the room made clear that the success of my product would be an impediment to your ad revenue financial goals, and thus even offering me the chance to be acquired was a noble and kind move on their part,” Caldwell wrote.
Finding no sympathetic ears in the company, Caldwell penned the missive directed at Zuckerberg.

Mark, I don’t believe that the humans working at Facebook or Twitter want to do the wrong thing. The problem is, employees at Facebook and Twitter are watching your stock price fall, and that is causing them to freak out. Your company, and Twitter, has demonstrably proven that you are willing to screw with users and 3rd-party developer ecosystems, all in the name of ad-revenue. Once you start down the slippery-slope of messing with developers and users, I don’t have any confidence you will stop.

Caldwell never explains what his app is. In a string of comments on Hacker News, some criticized the developer for complaining about what appeared to be a good deal from Facebook. Others, however, pointed out that Facebook’s position appeared to be “join us or die.” Beyond taking sides in the spat, though, one pointed out that Caldwell’s argument is itself a negotiation tactic: “It’s a game, FB used hard tactics, now he is using public sentiment. It is just an money game in the end. Blog posts like this just hurt both companies perceptions.”


India’s call centers kept answering the phones Monday and Tuesday, as 680 million people in the country’s northern and eastern provinces faced a crippling power outage, the largest ever electrical blackout in world history.

Call centers for foreign companies, as well as major hospitals and airports, were able to switch from the main electrical grid to backup gas and diesel generators.

“Operations at Wipro’s facilities across India continued as normal,” Hariprasad Hegde, global operations head for outsourcing company Wipro Technologies, told FoxNews.com. “Wipro facilities have a strong backup infrastructure and contingency plans to deal with such eventualities.”

As the estimated 350,000 Indians who work in the country’s call centers continued working, medical clinics, small businesses, and roughly one-tenth of the world’s population, were left in the dark.

Those who can afford to use backup generators routinely will, while the country’s small businesses suffer. According the Indian government’s Planning Commission, power outages cut India’s growth rate by 1.2% each year. Even in the best of circumstances, roughly one-third of India’s population of 1.2 billion lacks access to electricity.

Analysts have little doubt as to what caused the outages. India’s outdated electric grids cannot keep up with the power needs of its rapidly growing population especially during the sweltering summer months.

“Failure of the power grid on a scale such as this on consecutive days should be a matter of grave concern. This has had an impact on all sectors of the economy including industry, which would have to bear considerable losses due to production stoppage,” R.V. Kanoria, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said in a statement. “This situation is a grim reminder of the humongous task we have on our hands in improving the infrastructure facilities in the country.”

For now, only time will tell if India’s infrastructural shortcomings will inhibit its long-term growth. Do you think India’s small businesses can find a way to compete, despite the country’s antiquated power systems?

India’s Call Centers Stayed Open During Historic Blackout

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:08 AM


India’s call centers kept answering the phones Monday and Tuesday, as 680 million people in the country’s northern and eastern provinces faced a crippling power outage, the largest ever electrical blackout in world history.

Call centers for foreign companies, as well as major hospitals and airports, were able to switch from the main electrical grid to backup gas and diesel generators.

“Operations at Wipro’s facilities across India continued as normal,” Hariprasad Hegde, global operations head for outsourcing company Wipro Technologies, told FoxNews.com. “Wipro facilities have a strong backup infrastructure and contingency plans to deal with such eventualities.”

As the estimated 350,000 Indians who work in the country’s call centers continued working, medical clinics, small businesses, and roughly one-tenth of the world’s population, were left in the dark.

Those who can afford to use backup generators routinely will, while the country’s small businesses suffer. According the Indian government’s Planning Commission, power outages cut India’s growth rate by 1.2% each year. Even in the best of circumstances, roughly one-third of India’s population of 1.2 billion lacks access to electricity.

Analysts have little doubt as to what caused the outages. India’s outdated electric grids cannot keep up with the power needs of its rapidly growing population especially during the sweltering summer months.

“Failure of the power grid on a scale such as this on consecutive days should be a matter of grave concern. This has had an impact on all sectors of the economy including industry, which would have to bear considerable losses due to production stoppage,” R.V. Kanoria, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said in a statement. “This situation is a grim reminder of the humongous task we have on our hands in improving the infrastructure facilities in the country.”

For now, only time will tell if India’s infrastructural shortcomings will inhibit its long-term growth. Do you think India’s small businesses can find a way to compete, despite the country’s antiquated power systems?


Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei joined Instagram last week and so far has posted four photos. Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 chose to share shots that likely show scenes of Ramadan.

It comes as a surprise to some that a person who has been slow to get onboard with social media trends not to mention Iran’s stance toward its citizens’ use of the social media has joined Instagram. His Twitter account has 4,337 followers so far, and links to his Instagram account. Also posted on his Twitter account are links to YouTube videos and stories about his visits with other world and religious leaders.

It’s no surprise that his Twitter account has received some flack from those who say it’s hypocritical for a public figure in a country that has imposed strict Internet control over its citizens to be involved in social networking. This is the same regime that continues to block social networking sites and restrict Internet access for its citizens. Three years ago, before a mass protest, the Internet was down due to government actions.

 It was reported in April that Iran had plans to shut down the Internet country-wide in August in favor of a “clean Internet,” that will filter news and information to its citizens. Agence France Presse reported shortly after that initial story ran that Iranian government officials said the clean Internet reports were “baseless.”

Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Joins Instagram, Posts Pics

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:08 AM


Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei joined Instagram last week and so far has posted four photos. Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 chose to share shots that likely show scenes of Ramadan.

It comes as a surprise to some that a person who has been slow to get onboard with social media trends not to mention Iran’s stance toward its citizens’ use of the social media has joined Instagram. His Twitter account has 4,337 followers so far, and links to his Instagram account. Also posted on his Twitter account are links to YouTube videos and stories about his visits with other world and religious leaders.

It’s no surprise that his Twitter account has received some flack from those who say it’s hypocritical for a public figure in a country that has imposed strict Internet control over its citizens to be involved in social networking. This is the same regime that continues to block social networking sites and restrict Internet access for its citizens. Three years ago, before a mass protest, the Internet was down due to government actions.

 It was reported in April that Iran had plans to shut down the Internet country-wide in August in favor of a “clean Internet,” that will filter news and information to its citizens. Agence France Presse reported shortly after that initial story ran that Iranian government officials said the clean Internet reports were “baseless.”


Will Apple charge $800 for the iPhone 5? Not likely, but a rumor to that effect has been circulating on Twitter.

Two topics related to the rumor  #800dollarsforaniPhone” and “iPhone 5 $800″ were trending on Twitter on Thursday. Most users seemed to treat the topic as an opportunity to show off their comic chops:

The exact origin of the rumor is unclear. According to IBTimes, gamenguide.com features a listing on taobao.com, a Chinese auction site, that shows a photo of what is purported to be the iPhone 5 for the equivalent of $800 to $1,050.

Of course, Apple is keeping any details about a new iPhone close to the vest. Apple has not confirmed numerous reports that peg an announcement relating to the new phone at Sept. 12. An $800 iPhone would be a big jump in price. The current top-of-the-line iPhone 4S with 64 GB of memory sells for $399 with a wireless service plan.

$800 iPhone 5 Rumor Sweeps Twitter

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:08 AM


Will Apple charge $800 for the iPhone 5? Not likely, but a rumor to that effect has been circulating on Twitter.

Two topics related to the rumor  #800dollarsforaniPhone” and “iPhone 5 $800″ were trending on Twitter on Thursday. Most users seemed to treat the topic as an opportunity to show off their comic chops:

The exact origin of the rumor is unclear. According to IBTimes, gamenguide.com features a listing on taobao.com, a Chinese auction site, that shows a photo of what is purported to be the iPhone 5 for the equivalent of $800 to $1,050.

Of course, Apple is keeping any details about a new iPhone close to the vest. Apple has not confirmed numerous reports that peg an announcement relating to the new phone at Sept. 12. An $800 iPhone would be a big jump in price. The current top-of-the-line iPhone 4S with 64 GB of memory sells for $399 with a wireless service plan.


If you’ve ever bought a Groupon for an expensive restaurant in your area, and had a great meal for not a lot of money, you understand the draw of the daily deal sites.

Groupon has been around since late 2008, offering daily deals of discounted gift certificates at national companies. Along came LivingSocial and a slew of competitors and soon, mailboxes were filling up with offers for massages and exercise classes and even Botox treatments.

Lately though, I’m seeing offers for medical and health procedures such as dental cleanings, acupuncture and chiropractic services, even vision exams.

It seems doctors found the “too good to pass up” daily deal form of advertising and marketing too good to pass up. New clients are coming in, and getting huge discounts on medical services.

But we wondered; are they returning for more? Can consumers who have little or no health insurance use daily deals as a way to see a physician, a dentist, an eye doctor, all the basics of keeping healthy?

We want to know if you’ve ever used a Groupon or daily deal for a medical prodecure, or if you plan to. What kinds of deals are coming into your inbox?

Can You Stay Healthy Using Local Deal Offers for Medical Services?

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:08 AM


If you’ve ever bought a Groupon for an expensive restaurant in your area, and had a great meal for not a lot of money, you understand the draw of the daily deal sites.

Groupon has been around since late 2008, offering daily deals of discounted gift certificates at national companies. Along came LivingSocial and a slew of competitors and soon, mailboxes were filling up with offers for massages and exercise classes and even Botox treatments.

Lately though, I’m seeing offers for medical and health procedures such as dental cleanings, acupuncture and chiropractic services, even vision exams.

It seems doctors found the “too good to pass up” daily deal form of advertising and marketing too good to pass up. New clients are coming in, and getting huge discounts on medical services.

But we wondered; are they returning for more? Can consumers who have little or no health insurance use daily deals as a way to see a physician, a dentist, an eye doctor, all the basics of keeping healthy?

We want to know if you’ve ever used a Groupon or daily deal for a medical prodecure, or if you plan to. What kinds of deals are coming into your inbox?


We all know the process: take picture, upload picture to Facebook, create album, tag friends. It’s a tedious process, but someone’s gotta do it. Not for long for Flock users though. The new app makes photo sharing hassle free and pretty smart.

Using iOS’s photo detection API, the app cross references your geographic area with Facebook friends and determines who was present in the photo you just took. The app then creates an album, uploads all your pics, and when you and your friends leave the area, it notifies everyone in the album that the photos are available to view.

Everyone can then comment, download or email photos straight from the app, or push them to Facebook.

To work appropriately, Flock will require location services be enabled within the camera.

The founders of Bump, the app that lets two users knock phones together to exchange data, created Flock. Bump has been downloaded at least 100 million times, according to the company so the bar is set high for Flock’s potential.

The app is available for free in the app store.

Flock Is the App for Super Social Photo Sharers

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:08 AM


We all know the process: take picture, upload picture to Facebook, create album, tag friends. It’s a tedious process, but someone’s gotta do it. Not for long for Flock users though. The new app makes photo sharing hassle free and pretty smart.

Using iOS’s photo detection API, the app cross references your geographic area with Facebook friends and determines who was present in the photo you just took. The app then creates an album, uploads all your pics, and when you and your friends leave the area, it notifies everyone in the album that the photos are available to view.

Everyone can then comment, download or email photos straight from the app, or push them to Facebook.

To work appropriately, Flock will require location services be enabled within the camera.

The founders of Bump, the app that lets two users knock phones together to exchange data, created Flock. Bump has been downloaded at least 100 million times, according to the company so the bar is set high for Flock’s potential.

The app is available for free in the app store.


Japan’s Sharp has announced it will start shipping screens for Apple’s new iPhone next month, Reuters reports.

“Shipments will start in August,” said Sharp’s president, Takashi Okuda, without giving any additional information. Sharp is one of three suppliers of iPhone screens, the other two being LG Display and Japan Display.

Recent rumors and reports mostly agree that Apple will launch the next-generation iPhone on Sept. 12, and the company itself said it plans a major product announcement in the fall.

The new device, rumors claim, will have a thin 4-inch screen and a case with a metal back, as opposed to the iPhone 4S’s 3.7-inch screen and glass back.

Sharp to Start Shipping iPhone Screens in August

Posted by Ali Aizaz on 1:08 AM


Japan’s Sharp has announced it will start shipping screens for Apple’s new iPhone next month, Reuters reports.

“Shipments will start in August,” said Sharp’s president, Takashi Okuda, without giving any additional information. Sharp is one of three suppliers of iPhone screens, the other two being LG Display and Japan Display.

Recent rumors and reports mostly agree that Apple will launch the next-generation iPhone on Sept. 12, and the company itself said it plans a major product announcement in the fall.

The new device, rumors claim, will have a thin 4-inch screen and a case with a metal back, as opposed to the iPhone 4S’s 3.7-inch screen and glass back.

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