Google showcases the best Android apps for its first-ever Google Play Awards

Posted by & filed under Android, app, e-payment, Google, Google Play Store, online business, online gaming, smartphones, Social Media, Software.

Description: The final winners will be announced live on May 19th at 7 PM PT at Google I/O and will be live streamed. Source: Tech Crunch Date: April 22, 2016 Apple has historically doled out annual awards to those third-party app developers that it believes have created the best apps and games over the past 12… Read more »

Top 5 social media scams to avoid

Posted by & filed under Advertisement, Android, app, Apple, Banking, encryption, hackers, Privacy, Security, Social Media.

Description: Scammers have been worming their way into giant social media networks to trick people into giving over their personal and financial information Source: CNN Money Date: April 22, 2016 1. Fake customer service accounts on Twitter: Online criminals set up fake customer service accounts to phish for bank login and password information and other sensitive… Read more »

Microsoft’s A.I. bot turned from average teen to Jew-hating Trump supporter in 12 hours

Posted by & filed under Analytics, Artificial intelligence, microsoft, Social Media, Twitter.

Description: Less than a day after Microsoft unleashed Tay, its experimental A.I., to social networks including Twitter and Kik, the chatbot’s already become a racist jerk you wouldn’t ever want to be friends with. Source: Mashable Date: March 24, 2016 Designed by Microsoft Research to better understand how 18- to 24-year-olds speak, Tay has definitely developed… Read more »

YouTube has a new tool for blurring moving objects

Posted by & filed under Social Media, technology, video, YouTube.

Description: YouTube has a new tool for blurring moving objects Source: Mashable Date: February 25, 2016 YouTube is expanding upon its face-blurring feature that it first introduced in 2012, allowing YouTubers to easily blur moving objects. After uploading a video, you can access the new feature through the new Custom Blurring tool under Blurring Effects. You… Read more »

You can now like, love, and frown at posts on Facebook

Posted by & filed under app, emojis, FaceBook, industry analysis, Social Media.

Description: Facebook has introduced ‘reactions’ which allow you to show emotions beyond ‘like’ such as ‘angry,’ ‘sad,’ or ‘love.’ Source: CNN Money Date: February 24, 2016 Questions for discussion: 1. What is the point or advantage of adding multiple “reactions” to Facebook? 2. is it possible that this added feature might have a negative impact on… Read more »

Twitter exodus begins as five top executives depart overnight

Posted by & filed under Social Media, Twitter.

Description: Shakeup comes as new CEO Jack Dorsey tries to make Twitter exciting again. Source: Ars Technica Date: January 27, 2016 Late on Sunday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey confirmed that four of the company’s top executives will be departing. Additionally, the head of Vine—Twitter’s short-form video sharing service—is also leaving the company, to rejoin Google. The… Read more »

Hey Millennials, Your Mom Is About to Follow You on Snapchat

Posted by & filed under Analytics, millennials, Snapchat, Social Media, user habits.

Description: Though Snapchat has mostly been known as a disappearing message app teens love, the show isn’t for them. Gary Vaynerchuk, an early investor in the service, has been watching it for a while, and his bet is that Snapchat is finally aging up. Source: Wired Date: January 14, 2016 It’s part of a mounting body… Read more »

Technology and the Fight Against Terrorism

Posted by & filed under cyber terroism, free speech, hackers, Internet, politics, Privacy, Security, Social Media.

Description: Preventing terrorist plots is harder than ever, and technology is both the problem and the solution. Source: CNN Money Date: November 24, 2015 Violent extremists like ISIS meet in the open on Facebook or Twitter. Then they take the conversation private, using technology called encryption to encode their messages. It’s called “going dark”, and it’s one… Read more »