Pressroom5 Tech-e

iPhone Price Down $200, New iPod's Introduced

2007-09-06T10:07:00.001-07:00

Apple freaks who waited in long lines in June to be the first to own hot new iPhones may have come to regret their purchases after discovering on Wednesday that Apple was cutting the price of the devices by $200. The market wasn't too happy either, as Apple's shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market fell a few dollars Wednesday following the news. They started the day lower on Thursday but began to slowly rebound.

Those who feel they were cheated, however, may find solace in one of the new or upgraded iPods that Apple also introduced this week, including the iPod touch and revamped iPod nano.

On a pace to sell one million iPhones by the end of the month, Apple ramped up the iPhone marketing machine a notch, lowering the price tag of its eight-gigabyte model from its introductory $599 to $399. The new price will be offered in the U.S. through Apple and AT&T retail and online stores.

For those itching to invest in another Apple music player, the company now offers an iPod with a touch user interface similar to the one found on the iPhone. The eight-millimeter (0.3-inch) thin iPod touch is the first iPod to include Wi-Fi wireless networking and supports use of the Apple Safari browser. The eight-gigabyte version is priced starting at $299; the 16-gigabyte version starts at $399. Both come with a 3.5-inch wide-screen display. Apple is now also offering the ability to access the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store over a Wi-Fi network directly from an iPod touch or iPhone.

Apple also unveiled a new iPod nano on Wednesday that has a larger, two-inch display with 204 pixels per inch that rivals the resolution of Apple's video iPod. The new four-gigabyte iPod nano comes in silver for $149; the eight-gigabyte model is available in silver, black, blue or green as well as a red special edition for $199.

Rival Microsoft is hoping to capitalize on the mixed reactions to Apple's news by cutting the price of its 30-gigabyte Zune digital music player by $50 to $199. While Microsoft has made no official announcement regarding the price cut, the move was reported on the Zune Insider blog written by Cesar Menendez, a Microsoft employee working on Zune.
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Apple Reveals Next Generation iPods

Associated Press - (APTN)

Sep. 05, 2007. 08:12 PM EST

CEO Steve Jobs showed off the newest members of Apple's iPod family. Among the new products were the first iPod with Wi-Fi and the iPod Touch. Jobs said his company is also slashing the price of the iPhone by $200. (Sept. 5)

Facebook Giving Your Information To Search Engines

2007-09-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

Facebook, the hugely popular social networking site, risks provoking anger from its users by opening up details of individuals to the web at large.

A new public search feature will soon mean that basic Facebook user profiles carrying names and photographs of the site’s members are accessible through search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN.

The move appears to be designed to drive more users to the privately owned site in an effort to boost advertising revenues, but has sparked privacy concerns.

Facebook attracted more than 30 million visitors last month, and is expected to make a profit of $30 million this year on revenues of $150 million. But analysts suggest that it is far from realising its earnings potential.

The network is regarded as a potential goldmine to advertisers because of the data it holds on its users, such as their birth date, interests, events they plan to attend, holidays and musical tastes.

In September last year Facebook users revolted when it unveiled a “news feed” feature, which informs everyone on a contact list when the user has made a change to his or her profile page. Hundreds protested against the move, but the feature was retained.

Security experts have also voiced misgivings over the amount of personal data available on social networking sites. Social networking sites should be a source of fun, not worry, but there are people out there who spend their time trying to exploit people through their private information.

Facebook users often provide details such as mobile numbers or employment history and these can be used to hack or steal a user’s identity.

A spokesman for Facebook said: “The Public Search Listing of a profile shows the profile picture thumbnail and links to interact with a user on Facebook. People will always have to log in or register to message or add someone as a friend. A user can also restrict what information shows in their public listing by going to the search privacy page.”
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Using Facebook To Look Up Roommates

WSYR ABC 9 Syracuse - (WSYR)

You've probably heard about employers looking up prospective hires on websites like MySpace and Facebook, and now parents of incoming freshmen at Syracuse University and colleges across the country are checking up on their children's dorm roommates.

Watch TV and Movies Online Now Free

2007-08-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

We Have Been Working On Our New Video Broadcast and Online TV Guide website iTrashTV.com this summer. You can watch and link to Online TV, News, Entertainment News, Music TV, Full Length Movies, Trailers. Link to video websites, share sites web cams and more. This site is open for preview, but is still a work in progress. Watch new and classic movies now, click photo above to enter. Soon we will ad a new navigation button to this page, and will begin posting new stories to Pressroom5 in September.

Steve Jobs Expected To Says "Can You Hear Me Now?" At The WWDC Smack Down

2007-06-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Look for Steve Jobs to cover three topics in his keynote speech Monday that kicks off Apple’s week-long Worldwide Developers Conference: Leopard, Leopard, and some more Leopard and a little iPhone.

Expect Jobs to spend most of his time on stage talking about his company's professional-grade machines and tools. He's been waiting a year to show off some secret features in the latest version of the Mac operating system, dubbed Leopard.

The surprise better be good. After all, the company said in April that it would be delaying the launch of Leopard from June until October. Apple's excuse that Leopard engineers were needed to get iPhone out the door by the end of June was plausible, but it's also going to raise the stakes.

What might Leopard deliver? Apple-watchers are hoping, as always, for the dramatic. Some imagine a new system that, because it was developed in tandem with the touch-centric iPhone, allows for touchable Apple display screens. Others want a new interface that departs from the window-pane format embraced by the entire PC industry (especially Microsoft's Windows). A few go so far as to predict Jobs will announce a Mac operating system that runs Windows Vista, or better yet, runs Vista programs without running Vista itself.

Whatever Jobs has in store with Leopard, he doesn't want to disappoint his developers; he needs each and every one of them. Though Apple has been ramping up its Mac sales in recent months the company's U.S. computer sales market share increased from 4% to 5% between April 2006 and April 2007, according to Gartner machines running Microsoft's Windows, from hardware vendors Hewlett-Packard and Dell , maintain near total control of the market.

And though Vista is receiving knocks for a clumsy interface and security issues from reviewers, Microsoft still managed to sell more than 20 million copies of it in its first month out. Apple sold 1.5 million computers in the first three months of 2007.

8 States Ask Myspace For Names Of Sex Offenders

2007-05-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL

A Communication From the Chief Legal Officers
Of the Following States: Connecticut – Georgia – Idaho – Mississippi – New Hampshire – North Carolina – Ohio – Pennsylvania

May 14, 2007
Mary Ellen Callahan
Hogan and Hartson, LLP
Columbia Square
555 Thirteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004

Dear Ms. Callahan:

As our states' chief legal officers, we are gravely concerned that sexual predators are using MySpace to lure children into face-to-face encounters and other dangerous activities.

We write to you regarding MySpace's December 2006 announcement with Sentinel Tech Holding regarding the identification of registered sex offenders on MySpace.

It is our understanding that the data from Sentinel reveals that thousands of known registered sexual offenders have been confirmed as MySpace members.

If true, this dramatically exceeds the report from Wired magazine, which found 744 registered sex offenders with MySpace profiles. Perhaps thousands more sexual predators - not registered or using fictitious names - are lurking on your web site.

We remain concerned about the design of your site, the failure to require parental permission, and the lack of safeguards necessary to protect our children.

We therefore request the following information:

First, how many registered sex offenders in the Sentinel database have been cross-referenced against MySpace's membership?

Second, what is the exact number of known registered sex offenders who have been identified as members of MySpace to date? Please forward a list of the names of the registered sex offenders that you have identified with profiles on MySpace and the states in which they reside.

Third, what steps has MySpace taken to alert law enforcement officials as well as MySpace users of such sex offenders? Finally, what steps has MySpace taken to remove sex offender profiles and how many have been removed?

We request a response by Tuesday, May 29, 2007. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Roy Cooper
Attorney General North Carolina

Richard Blumenthal
Attorney General Connecticut

Thurbert Baker
Attorney General Georgia

Lawrence Wasden
Attorney General Idaho

Jim Hood
Attorney General Mississippi

Kelly A. Ayotte
Attorney General New Hampshire

Marc Dann
Attorney General Ohio

Tom Corbett
Attorney General Pennsylvania

Play Video
MySpace list

WHP CBS 21 Harrisburg - (WHP)

May. 15, 2007. 07:45 AM EST

The Attorney General of Pennsylvania, along with his counterparts in more than a half-dozen other states is, asking the popular networking website "myspace.com" for names of registered sex offenders who use the service.

U.S. Soldiers Banned From Myspace & YouTube

2007-05-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

U.S. soldiers serving overseas will be banned from using many popular websites including YouTube and MySpace used to keep in touch with family and friends, a U.S. Army Commander said in a memo.

The Department of Defence "will block worldwide access" to YouTube, MySpace and 11 other popular websites on its computers and networks, according to the memo sent by General BB Bell, the US Forces Korea commander.

The policy is being implemented to protect information and reduce drag on the department's networks, Gen Bell said.

"This recreational traffic impacts our official DoD network and bandwidth ability, while posing a significant operational security challenge, " he wrote.

The new policy creates a blanket ban on several sites used by military personnel to exchange messages, pictures, video and audio with family and friends, while also viewing nude photos and strip teases done by love ones back home.

Members of the military can still access the sites on their own computers and networks, but Defence Department computers and networks are the only ones available to many soldiers and sailors in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The move is in addition to the general policy of banning members of the military from sharing information that could jeopardise their missions or safety.

You never know who you will meet on Myspace or see on YouTube.

Play Video
Military Bans MySpace

KLRT Fox 16 Little Rock - (KLRT)

May. 15, 2007. 10:03 AM EST

For soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, contacting family and friends back home, just got tougher. The Department of Defense is banning MySpace, PhotoBucket, YouTube and ten other popular websites.

Sentencing For Myspace Murderer

2007-05-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

Sentencing begins this week for the so-called "MySpace killer."

Former UMBC student John Gaumer was convicted of killing a woman he met on the internet.

Last week a jury found Gaumer guilty of pre-meditated murder and first degree rape in the death of Josie Brown.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Play Video
Myspace Murderer/Rapist Gets Guilty Verdict

Update To Story 5-15-07

Play Video Emotions Run High On The Myspace Murder Sentencing

WBFF FOX Baltimore - (WBFF)

May. 14, 2007. 10:00 PM EST

Convicted John Gaumer Was Brought To Tears During Sentencing

Greenhouse Warming Bring Dry Hot Summers To Eastern U.S. States In Future

2007-05-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

NASA scientists have warned that greenhouse gas warming may raise average summer temperatures in the eastern part of United States by nearly 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the 2080s.

"There is the potential for extremely hot summertime temperatures in the future, especially during summers with less-than-average frequent rainfall," said lead author Barry Lynn of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Columbia University, New York.

The research found that eastern US summer daily high temperatures that currently average in the low-to-mid-80s (degrees Fahrenheit) (26 degrees Celsius) will most likely soar to the low-to-mid-90s (32 degrees Celsius) during summers by the 2080s.

In extreme seasons "when precipitation falls infrequently July and August daily high temperatures could average between 100 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. And the cities that will be particularly affected will be Chicago, Washington, and Atlanta," he said.

To reach their conclusions, researchers analyzed nearly 30 years of observational temperature and precipitation data and also used computer model simulations that considered soil, atmospheric, and oceanic conditions and projected changes in greenhouse gases.

The simulations were produced using a widely-used weather prediction model coupled with a global model developed by NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

"The weather prediction model used is advantageous because it assesses details about future climate at a smaller geographic scale than global models, providing reliable simulations not only on the amounts of summer precipitation, but also on its frequency and timing," a release from the institute said.

1. Most of the sun's energy reaches the Earth. (The ozone layer shields the Earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation.)
2. About 30 percent of the energy is reflected back into space.
3. Burning of fossil fuels and deforestation increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Added to this are chlorofluorocarbons (human-made gases used in spray cans, refrigerants and insulations) and methane (from landfills, farming and swamps).
4. Together, these gases form a "blanket" which traps energy, thus warming the Earth.

Source: World Resources Institute, Changing Climate: A Guide to the Greenhouse Effect (1989).

Google Earth Maps Show Crisis In Darfur "Genocide"

2007-04-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Satellite pictures of razed villages and squalid refugee camps scattered across Darfur can now be viewed by a global audience after Google Earth put the images online.

Users of Google Earth, a satellite mapping service that attracts hundreds of millions of viewers, will see the war-torn region of western Sudan highlighted with yellow boundaries and labelled "Crisis in Darfur". Blue marks scattered across the pictures of Darfur's harsh, arid landscape indicate refugee camps, which are holding some two million people; red flames denote villages, which gunmen have destroyed.

Google Earth also carries graphic photographs and eyewitness testimony of atrocities committed during the civil war, which broke out in 2003 and has claimed about 300,000 lives through violence, starvation or disease.

Links are provided for users to contact their governments and urge action over Darfur.

Human rights workers commended the project, a joint venture by Google and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

But Google Earth has adopted a highly controversial view of the Darfur conflict. It unquestioningly labels the war a "genocide" even though a United Nations investigation ruled in 2005 that the term did not apply to the events in Darfur.

The atrocities detailed on Google Earth are overwhelmingly attributed to the Janjaweed, a brutal militia raised by Khartoum's Arab-dominated regime and unleashed upon Darfur's black African tribes.

Rebel armies have also committed atrocities in Darfur, but these are not detailed on the website. Sudan's regime may also ask why Google has chosen to highlight this war and not other crises. A spokesman said Google tried to highlight other crises "but we can't do it for every single one".

Play Video
Google Earth Focuses on Sudan Atrocities

PS3 20 GB A Failure World Wide Say Good-Bye

2007-04-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

The smaller capacity version of the Playstation 3 is officially on its way out because it accounted for less than 10% of all unit sales, according to Sony.

The 20 GB PS3 retails for $100 less than the higher capacity model, at around $500. In addition to a smaller hard drive, the 20 GB PS3 was overlooked by many because it does not have built-in WiFi connectivity. Virtually all major retailers, including Gamestop and EB Games, have already stopped selling the basic model.

It's also a way for Sony to cut back, however minimally, on production costs for the system. It is still struggling to catch a massive audience after the hype of the November launch. In January, it was the slowest selling among the three next-gen consoles, with about 244,000 units sold during that month. By comparison, the Wii sold 436,000, according to sales data from NPD Group.

The 60 GB model was so overwhelmingly chosen over the cheaper version that the 20 GB unit was not even released in Europe, Australia, and other Eastern countries.

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Playstation 3 Virtual Universe

PS3 owners are about to get a dose of social networking and it's all in 3D.

MGM Movies Sold At iTunes Store

2007-04-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

The inventory of movies at Apple's iTunes Store gets expanded with the announcement that MGM is beginning to release movies for download.

"It's exciting to be bringing so many amazing films from our catalog to iTunes," said Douglas Lee, executive vice president of worldwide digital media at MGM. "We have an unrivaled movie library and are looking forward to adding even more films in the future so users can take their favorite movies with them wherever they go."

MGM alone has a library of some 4000 modern movies, iTunes Store now offers a mere 500 titles from all sources.

The initial batch from MGM features well-known films including Dances With Wolves, Mad Max, Rocky, Ronin, and The Thomas Crown Affair. iTunes movies are priced between $US9.99 and $US14.99 - those mentioned here are all $US9.99.

Despite the arrival of the 720p-capable Apple TV, iTunes movies are still delivered in "near-DVD quality" 640 pixels wide by no more than 480 high. That's fine for watching on a iPod connected to a TV, but not so good for viewing on a computer or via Apple TV.

"More than two million movies have now been downloaded from the iTunes Store making it the world’s most popular online movie store," said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. We can't help thinking they would have sold a lot more if movies were available from iTunes Stores outside the US

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Apple Bites Into Online Movies
Archive 09-06

Viacom Takes On YouTube "Remove 100,000 Videos Or Else"

2007-02-09T08:19:00.000-08:00

Viacom has demanded that YouTube remove more than 100,000 videos of television shows and movies. The notice which was sent early this week came after negotiations between the two companies broke down.

Viacom is a huge media conglomerate that owns popular stations like MTV, VH1 and Comedy Central. In addition, it has movie studios like Paramount and DreamWorks. The company contends that YouTube unfairly benefits from pirated clips and does not reimburse content creators.

YouTube has been furiously trying to broker distribution deals with movie studios and television networks. It's already reached deals with NBC Universal and Universal Music Group. Interestingly enough, it also has an agreement with CBS which was spun off from Viacom.

Play Video

Chinese Boys Launch Career Off YouTube Fame

The lip-syncing Chinese duo known as 'The Back Dorm Boys' - a sensation on Web sites such as YouTube and Google Video - have signed a talent deal, becoming the latest to make real careers out of virtual fame. (Dec. 21)

Hold Your Wee For A Wii

2007-01-17T12:03:00.000-08:00

A Sacramento area radio station fired 10 employees today, including three morning disc jockeys, after a mother of three died following an on-air water-drinking contest last week at the station's studios.

The hosts of KDND-FM's ''Morning Rave'' who go by the on-air names Trish, Maney and Lukas were fired a day after the station announced it was suspending the show and investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Jennifer Lea Strange.

Strange, 28, died after participating in a water-drinking contest on the program, and was one of about 18 contestants who tried to win a Nintendo Wii gaming console early Friday by seeing how much water they could drink without going to the bathroom. The show's DJs called the contest ''Hold your Wee for a Wii.''

The ''Morning Rave'' had been on the air for about five years and was one of the capital's top-ranked morning drive programs.

During the contest, participants were given two minutes to drink an 8-ounce bottle of water and then given another bottle to drink after a 10-minute break.

Strange had showed fellow contestants photographs of her two sons and daughter, for whom she was hoping to win the Nintendo Wii. The game console sells for about $250.

Strange, who placed second, and others kept going even after they were handed even larger containers, but Strange may have drunk nearly two gallons. Afterward, she appeared ill when she went on the air, one contestant noted.

Following the contest, Strange called in sick to work. About five hours later she was found dead at her home.

The Sacramento County coroner said preliminary autopsy findings indicated she died of water intoxication.

Drinking large quantities of water rapidly can throw off the body's balance of electrolytes, causing brain swelling and leading to seizures, coma, or even death.

In February 2005, a Chico State University student died after drinking too much water in a hazing incident at a fraternity. Matthew Carrington was forced to repeatedly drink from a 5-gallon jug and then do calisthenics.

In that case, one fraternity member pleaded guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter and two others pleaded guilty to being accessories to manslaughter, among other charges.

Apple - Cingular iPhone Introduced

2007-01-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

Apple Computer Inc. Executive Steve Jobs on Tuesday introduced an eagerly-anticipated Apple-branded mobile phone with a touch-screen that combines features from the company's popular iPod music player.

Apple watchers were expecting details on an Apple smartphone able to play music, make calls and perform other functions, the announcement at the annual Macworld conference still helped push the company's shares up more than 5 percent.

Jobs did not give immediate details on the pricing of the phone or its availability and The phone will use the network of AT&T's cellular unit, Cingular Wireless.

The move also could help Apple become a leader in the market for portable digital media devices. The iPod now commands more than a 70 percent share of the U.S. market for MP3 players, as the devices are also known.

The new 11.6 millimeter phone includes a 3.5-inch wide touchscreen display with multi-touch support, 2 megapixel camera and 8 gigabytes of storage. It runs Apple's OS X operating system.

Jobs also said another device that allows users to stream movies, music, photos, podcasts and TV shows to their home entertainment systems would ship in February. Dubbed "AppleTV," the 40 gigabyte machine will cost $299, the same price Jobs forecast back in September.

Jobs also said movies from Paramount films would be sold in on Apple's iTunes online music store in addition to titles from Disney.

Apple has sold more than 70 million iPods since they were introduced and consumers have bought more than 2 billion songs for about 99 cents each on iTunes. More than 220 television shows are also available on iTunes.

Apple shares rose $4.30 to $88.77 following the announcement.

Brazilian Judge Lifts Ban On YouTube Over Cicarelli Video

2007-01-09T09:50:00.000-08:00

A judge reversed course Tuesday and lifted an order that led to a ban of YouTube in Brazil because a sexy video of supermodel Daniela Cicarelli had uploaded and shown widely on the video-sharing site.

This came after telecommunications companies and Internet providers blocked YouTube from the Amazon to Brazil's populous south in recent days, saying they were unable to limit blocking to the video of Cicarelli making out with her boyfriend.

The case, is the first of its kind in Latin America's largest nation, spotlights the extremely gray area of when and how Internet companies and providers should remove content when privacy rights are violated.

The widely viewed video shows Cicarelli and Brazilian banker Renato Malzoni in intimate scenes along a beach near the Spanish city of Cadiz. The order for its removal was issued after they sued and won a ruling that YouTube violated the couple's right to privacy in hosting the video submitted by the site's users.

But the clip became even more popular over the weekend after the announcement of the Brazil YouTube ban made headlines worldwide, and users in Brazil and beyond posted it to a slew of other Web sites not subject to the judge's order.

Some of the Brazilian companies said it was technically impossible for them to filter out only the video on YouTube, so they pulled the plug on YouTube to make sure they were in legal compliance.

YouTube said it is "working on resolving the current issue in Brazil" and has removed all copies of the Cicarelli video.

"We trust that Brazilian authorities have recognized our efforts to remove all copies of the video, and we will continue to do so as we become aware that it has been reposted."

The ban was also widely criticized by Internet users and press freedom groups, which complained YouTube was being unfairly punished by a near-total block that didn't work anyway because the clip of Cicarelli making out with her boyfriend just went up on other sites.

Sao Paulo state Supreme Court Justice Enio Santarelli Zuliani denied he engaged in censorship, but acknowledged possible concerns Tuesday when he lifted the ban.

"Preventing the dissemination of offensive, false or libelous information is not legal censorship," Zuliani wrote. "However, the blocking of a site could lead to speculation along those lines."

The judge also warned that he could reinstate a YouTube ban in Brazil. He demanded that the service providers explain why they could not block the video alone and that YouTube explain why it could not use software to prevent the Cicarelli clip from popping back on the site.

YouTube said last week the video reappeared on its site after users kept resubmitting it.

The case could spark interest in the development of "fingerprinting" technology that would allow video-sharing sites to identify and block newly uploaded video that is similar or identical to previously removed content, said Jonathan Zittrain, a professor of Internet governance and regulation at Oxford University in Britain. (As reported by the associated press)

Zuliani's order to reverse the ban came just hours after Spanish-owned Telefonica SA issued a statement saying it turned off YouTube, preventing millions of Internet users in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro from viewing the site owned by Google Inc.

Telefonica's announcement affecting Brazil's biggest cities and most populous states came a day after Brasil Telecom SA confirmed that it had blocked the site in a swath of the country stretching from the capital of Brasilia to the Amazon.

The judge last week ordered YouTube to prevent the video from being seen by Brazilians, also ordering fixed-line operators that provide the gateway to Internet providers to take part in the ban until YouTube assured that the clip could not be accessed by Brazilians on its site.

Cicarelli is one of Brazil's best-known models, hosts a show on Brazilian MTV and was previously engaged to soccer great Ronaldo, who plays for Spain's famous Real Madrid team.