Category Archives: Technology

3 Google Tools that Can Have a Major Impact on Learning and Education

Google is undoubtedly the god of the internet and technology in today’s society. As the number one search engine on the web and the leader in internet and device technology, Google is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Some of the smartest and most creative brains in the industry are working for the tech giant, developing new tools, applications, and websites to further education and access online.

There’s no denying that Google has revolutionized the way in which the internet is used. That being said, Google has also had an immeasurable impact on the world of academics. With endless information right at our fingertips and unbelievable tools available at all times, Google has created tools for learning that in many cases haven’t even been fully realized. These three Google creations are amazing tools that can impact and improve learning and education around the world. (more…)

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comScore Releases January 2012 U.S. Online Video Rankings

*Long-Form Video Content on the Rise, Reaching 6 Minutes on Average in January*

RESTON, VA, February 20, 2012 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore Video Metrix service showing that 181 million U.S. Internet users watched nearly 40 billion videos of online video content in January.

Top 10 Video Content Properties by Unique Viewers

Google Sites, driven primarily by video viewing at YouTube.com, ranked as the top online video content property in January with 152 million unique viewers, followed by VEVO with 51.5 million, Yahoo! Sites with 49.2 million, Viacom Digital with 48.1 million and Facebook.com with 45.1 million. Nearly 40 billion videos views occurred during the month, with Google Sites generating the highest number at 18.6 billion, followed by Hulu with 877 million and VEVO with 717 million. The average viewer watched 22.6 hours of online video content, with Google Sites (7.5 hours) and Hulu (3.2 hours) demonstrating the highest average engagement among the top ten properties. (more…)

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Cellphone Use Linked to Selfish Behavior in UMD Study

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Though cellphones are usually considered devices that connect people, they may make users less socially minded, finds a recent study from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Marketing professors Anastasiya Pocheptsova and Rosellina Ferraro, with graduate student, Ajay T. Abraham, conducted a series of experiments on test groups of cellphone users. The findings appear in their working paper, The Effect of Mobile Phone Use on Prosocial Behavior. (more…)

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msnNOW Taps Social Media to Find, Explore the Web’s Hottest Trends in Real-Time

*Go behind the scenes with msnNOW, a new service that provides up-to-the-minute updates on breaking news, trends, and social conversations.*

REDMOND, Wash. – It was a story that everyone hoped wasn’t true. On Saturday, Feb. 11, the day before the Grammys, Twitter and Facebook posts reported that one of the music industry’s once brightest stars, Whitney Houston, had died. Variations on the hashtag #RIPwhitney filled the top trending spots on Twitter. Facebook feeds were filled with memories of the late singer’s music – a first kiss, a first dance or first song ever bought. And YouTube exploded with videos of Houston’s past performances.

An hour or so after reports of the singer’s death began appearing via social media sites, the mainstream media began reporting confirmations of her death. As the day progressed, the major cable news stations began reading celebrity tweets aloud memorializing the singer and encouraging readers to visit their Facebook fan pages to join in the discussion. (more…)

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The Netherlands and France Have the Highest Penetration of Online Banking Users in Europe

comScore Releases Overview of European Internet Usage for December 2011

LONDON, UK, 16 February 2012 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released an overview of internet usage in Europe, showing 381.5 million unique visitors went online in December 2011 for an average of 27.5 hours per person. This release highlights internet usage in 49 European markets aggregated into the European region and provides individual reporting on 18 markets. Amongst its findings, the study also shows that online banking reached 66.3 percent of the internet audience in the Netherlands, making it the top market in Europe for sites such as ING Group. (more…)

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Meet the Team That Puts ‘Amazing Power’ at People’s Fingertips

Members of the Windows Server team speak with Microsoft News Center about their groundbreaking work in moving customers to the cloud—and what else they find fascinating

REDMOND, Wash. – Start telling most people about the importance of servers and their eyes glaze over. They would much rather talk about some cool new smartphone app or the latest social networking site. Yet without servers, the things we value most about technology—from mobile devices to online shopping—would be impossible. (more…)

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comScore Releases the “2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus” Report

Report Offers Insights on Key Trends from 2011 and What They Mean for the Coming Year

RESTON, VA, February 9, 2012 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report. This annual report examines how the prevailing trends in social media, search, online video, digital advertising, mobile and e-commerce are defining the current marketplace and what these trends mean for the year ahead. (more…)

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Microsoft Employees Give Back in Record Fashion

*Microsoft’s U.S.-based employees helped raise over US$100 million for thousands of nonprofits during the 2011 Microsoft Giving Campaign, the largest total in company history.*

REDMOND, Wash. – Microsoft employees raised a record-breaking US$100.5 million in 2011, topping last year’s total with donations to more than 18,000 community organizations across the United States and around the world.

Giving was up across the board in 2011—more employees participated, donating more time and money than ever before, which surprised some after 2010’s record year. (more…)

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