ANN ARBOR, Mich.— Popular firewall technology designed to boost security on cellular networks can backfire, unwittingly revealing data that could help a hacker break into Facebook and Twitter accounts, a new study from the University of Michigan shows.
The researchers also developed an Android app that tells phone users when they’re on a vulnerable network. They will present their work May 22 at the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy in San Francisco. (more…)
Video Ad Delivery Continues to Soar to New Heights, Representing 1 in 5 Videos Viewed
RESTON, VA, May 18, 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 37 billion online content videos in April. Video ads saw another record-breaking month with nearly 9.5 billion, representing 1 in 5 videos viewed online in April.
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 April with 157.7 million unique viewers, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 53.6 million, VEVO with 49.5 million, Facebook.com with 44.3 million and Microsoft Sites with 42.8 million. Nearly 37 billion video views occurred during the month, with Google Sites generating the highest number at 17 billion, followed by Hulu with 901 million and Yahoo! Sites with 742 million. The average viewer watched 21.8 hours of online video content, with Google Sites (7.2 hours) and Hulu (3.8 hours) earning the highest average engagement among the top ten properties. (more…)
Online technology has vastly increased citizens’ access to public records such as political campaign contributions and real estate transactions. But that explosion of information availability also sparks privacy concerns and may dampen some people’s willingness to engage in public activities, according to recent research.
Bing’s new user experience surfaces the best from the Web, friends and experts to help people do more.
REDMOND, Wash. – May 10, 2012 – Microsoft today unveiled a major update to its Bing search engine that fundamentally transforms the way users search the Web. The update, the most significant since Microsoft launched Bing three years ago, is designed to help users act quickly by taking advantage of the Web’s evolving fabric.
With the new version of Bing, rolling out over the coming weeks and broadly available in the U.S. in early June, people can easily get advice and recommendations from friends and experts with the new social sidebar. They can also view useful, action-oriented information via the new snapshot feature. And they can find what they’re looking for faster, with more relevant results and a refreshed user interface. All of this is presented in a new, three-column design that focuses on helping users take the leap from finding information to making quick, informed decisions. (more…)
For The First Time Primetime Show Fans Can Win A Sweepstakes Getaway Via Innovative Second Screen Experience
SUNNYVALE, Calif. & NEW YORK — ABC’s Revenge and Yahoo! announced a new way to engage fans during live viewing of the hit series using IntoNow from Yahoo! — audiences will have an opportunity to enter to win a one-week getaway, coinciding with the July 4th weekend, at an oceanfront house in the Hamptons, Grayson-style, presented by Lexus.
With over 80 percent of tablet owners using their devices while watching TV, ABC and Yahoo! are teaming up for an industry-first, interactive experience during the last two episodes of this season’s hottest primetime show airing on WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 and WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 ( 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET.) Viewers will have the chance to engage with the show in new and compelling formats and be rewarded in the process. (more…)
SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Yahoo! Small Business today announced the launch of Yahoo! Marketing Dashboard, a free tool that helps entrepreneurs discover new marketing opportunities to grow their businesses, while getting a clear picture of their marketing results, online reputations, and website performance, all in one place.
Designed specifically with the small business owner in mind, the Yahoo! Marketing Dashboard provides a clear, consolidated picture of a business’s marketing results and reputation, making it easier to discover new insights and develop new ideas for growth. The tool also enables small businesses to easily analyze website metrics and maintain accurate and comprehensive business listings across the Web. With all these key business metrics accessible in one location, small business owners with limited resources can spend more time focusing on their core businesses and less time buried in multiple interfaces and spreadsheets.
Some of the key features included in the free Yahoo! Marketing Dashboard include: (more…)
Digital Advertising and Social Media Play Prominent Roles in Political Campaigns, Delivering Amplified Exposure and Facilitating Online Fundraising
RESTON, VA, April 30, 2012 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a report analyzing the use of digital media in the 2012 U.S. presidential election to date. Entitled The Digital Politico: 5 Ways Digital Media is Shaping the 2012 Presidential Election, the report examines key trends shaping the current election cycle in areas such as social media, digital advertising, and paid search. To download a complimentary copy of the report, please visit: https://www.comscore.com/DigitalPolitico.
“Digital media has emerged over the past few election cycles as a formidable platform for political campaigns, providing the ability to efficiently target campaign messages and reach key voting constituencies at a fraction of the cost of traditional media,” said Andrew Lipsman, VP of Industry Analysis at comScore. “Political blogs, online advertising and online fundraising have helped shape the past few elections, but 2012 will almost certainly be remembered as the ‘social media election’ given how central Facebook and Twitter have become to the current digital battleground.” (more…)
Companies strike deal to split patents secured by Microsoft from AOL Inc.
REDMOND, Wash. and MENLO PARK, Calif. — April 23, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. and Facebook announced today a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will assign to Facebook the right to purchase a portion of the patent portfolio it recently agreed to acquire from AOL Inc. Facebook has agreed to purchase this portion for $550 million in cash.
In the initial AOL auction, Microsoft secured the ability to own or assign approximately 925 U.S. patents and patent applications plus a license to AOL’s remaining patent portfolio, which contains approximately 300 additional patents that were not for sale.As a result of today’s agreement, Facebook will obtain ownership of approximately 650 AOL patents and patent applications, plus a license to the AOL patents and applications that Microsoft will purchase and own. (more…)
