Tag Archives: Twitter

Study Highlights How Twitter is Used to Share Information After a Disaster

A study from North Carolina State University shows how people used Twitter following the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan, highlighting challenges for using the social media tool to share information. The study also indicates that social media haven’t changed what we communicate so much as how quickly we can disseminate it.

“I wanted to see if Twitter was an effective tool for sharing meaningful information about nuclear risk in the wake of the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant,” says Dr. Andrew Binder, an assistant professor of communication at NC State and author of a paper describing the work. “I knew people would be sharing information, but I wanted to see whether it was anecdotal or substantive, and whether users were providing analysis and placing information in context. (more…)

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Cell Network Security Holes Revealed, With an App to Test Your Carrier

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…)

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The ‘New’ Bing: Transforming Search from Finding to Doing

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…)

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ABC’s Revenge, Lexus and Yahoo!’s IntoNow Team Up to Reward Fans Watching the Remaining Two Thrilling Episodes of the Season

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…)

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Yahoo! Small Business Launches Marketing Dashboard — A Free Offering That Changes the Way Small Businesses Manage Their Online Marketing and Reputation

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…)

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comScore Releases “The Digital Politico” Report Highlighting 5 Ways Digital Media is Shaping the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election

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…)

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Science Outreach : Getting Started is Easy!

Sharing scientific knowledge is a fundamental part of university life. Regardless of whether you’re an undergraduate or a tenured professor, everyone has the responsibility of spreading their knowledge as widely as possible.

Why would you want to, though? “For a variety of reasons,” answers William Raillant-Clark, Press attaché at Université de Montréal’s Office of Communications and Public Relations. “The media is an excellent vehicle for communicating your ideas or your discoveries to the general public, and it can also draw the attention of your research peers to your work. This is one of the reasons why funding partners and potential research directors take into consideration science outreach work.” (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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