Goodbye Icons, Hello Photos

The Facebook Phone : Goodbye Icons, Hello Photos - Nearly three years after Facebook (FB) and Taiwanese device-maker HTC first offered up the unpopular ChaCha and Salsa phones to highlight the social networking site, they're at it again. 

Only this time, there's a twist. With the newest offering, you don't necessarily have to buy a particular phone, you can also download Facebook's just unveiled Home to any Android device.

The question now is, will you want to?

Some users will surely embrace what CEO Mark Zuckerberg describes as a "new experience" and "a simple, social device that was designed around people rather than applications and tasks." Others may balk when it comes to actually handing over the familiar icons of their Android home screen for an unending stream of photos, messages, texts, "likes", and alerts known as Chat heads that automatically pop into view.

"It's an effort to be more relevant," says David Garrity, principal with GVA Research in the attached video, while acknowledging that Facebook has tried to "cover as much of the mobile operating system as possible" by pairing with Google's Android platform.

While this new image-heavy, interactive system falls short of being granted game-changer status, Garrity thinks it will take a long period of "consumer road testing" before we know if Home is actually a behavior changer or simply fun to look at.

In explaining the new product to a live audience at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, California, Zuckerberg said the average smart phone user glances at their homescreen for updates about 100 times a day; an occurrence he thinks ''should be deeply personal" and reflect "the soul of your phone."

For his part, Garrity is unsure "how you stop people and get them to engage for a longer period of time" when the product, by nature, is designed for people on the go.

"What Facebook is trying to say here is, look, you really need only one app and that's it," he says, calling that "a wonderful marketing message" albeit one that will have to compete for consumer attention against millions of existing applications.

One clear stumble in the launch was the fact that, for some undisclosed reason, it will not be available for tablets for several months, while the pre-installed HTC First phone and the Home download will be available for test drives starting April 12th. ( yahoo.com )

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North Sumatra, Indonesia

North Sumatra, Indonesia - Sumatra, the world's sixth-largest island, spans over 1,200 miles in the western part of Indonesia and is split in two by the equator. The few tourists who brave Medan's pollution are rewarded with jungle trekking, active volcanoes, and friendly people who no longer behead and eat visitors as their ancestors once did.

Blessed with unmatched natural beauty and potential for adventure, Sumatra is equally cursed with devastating geological disasters and a serious tourism slump.

Despite the close geographical proximity to Penang and Singapore, North Sumatra has managed to remain wilder and more inviting than ever.

1. Lake Toba 

  

Photo by Greg Rodgers

Danau Toba is the world's largest volcanic lake and was formed during a cataclysmic eruption which subsequently killed off much of the Earth's population. Today, visitors enjoy Lake Toba's beauty and mineral-rich water by staying on Pulau Samosir -- a new, volcanic island formed in the center of the lake.

Samosir Island is actually an island within an island, and the tranquil setting is enough to keep people around for far longer than expected. Friendly Batak descendants are always willing to share their culture; impromptu guitar sessions break out almost nightly. 

2. Bukit Lawang

 

Photo by Greg Rodgers

Bukit Lawang, a tiny, riverside village north of Medan, is the base in North Sumatra for jungle trekking in Gunung Leuser national Park. Travelers will encounter both semi-wild and wild orangutans, along with a whole host of other endangered species that take refuge inside the national park after habitat loss to palm oil plantations.

River tubing, jungle trekking, and a serene setting are well worth braving Bukit Lawang's ferocious mosquito population. 

3. Berastagi

 

Photo by Greg Rodgers

Although not the most attractive town, Berastagi -- three hours from Medan -- serves as base for climbing two of Sumatra's most attractive volcanoes: Gunung Sibayak and Gunung Sinabung.

Unfortunately, most travelers get out of town quick after their day of trekking, but Berastagi is surrounded by villages, waterfalls, and natural attractions. The cool climate is refreshing to those who have been sweating around Southeast Asia for weeks.

Berastagi is a great place to visit traditional Karo houses to learn more about local customs. 

4. Gunung Sibayak

 

Photo by Greg Rodgers

Gunung Sibayak is easiest of North Sumatra's volcanoes to climb, however, the rewards are great. The views of the green, expansive Karo Highlands are spectacular. Climbing Gunung Sibayak can be done in five to six hours return; hot springs wait on the return path to soak sore legs.

The base for tackling Sibayak is the town of Berastagi -- only three hours from Medan. Many travelers opt to climb Mount Sibayak without a guide, but weather can change on the volcano so team up with someone else. 

5. Gunung Sinabung

At 8,000 feet high, Gunung Sinabung is the tallest volcano in North Sumatra and the views are even more impressive than those from neighboring Sibayak. Mount Sinabung is located 16 miles west of Berastagi; the climb plus return takes between 10 -- 12 hours, depending on the condition of the trails.

Climbing Gunung Sinabung requires a guide to help negotiate the crisscrossing and steep trails. Travelers have perished in the past attempting to climb alone.

Gunung Sinabung surprised everyone with an eruption in 2010 after having been dormant for 400 years. 

6. Visit Karo Villages

When your legs can no longer handle another volcano trek, take in daily life at one of the many Karo villages dotted around North Sumatra. The traditional thatched-roof longhouses are adorned with buffalo horns.

Ask in your accommodation about arranging transport, or rent a motorbike and grab a map. 

Percen Village: Closest to Berastagi (2 km) Percen has six traditional houses; the oldest is 120 years old. 

Lingga Village: At 16 km away from Berastagi, Lingga is nicer to visit than Percen. The king's house -- the primary attraction -- is 250 years old. 

Dokan Village: Dokan, 30 km away from Berastagi, is the least touristy of the Karo villages. 

7. Sipiso-Piso Waterfall

A nice stopover between Berastagi and Lake Toba, the Sipiso-piso Waterfall falls 120 meters onto rocks below. The waterfall is surrounded by mountains, jungle, and rice fields.

Find the waterfall just two kilometers from the main road junction in Simpang Situnggaling -- one of the bus changes on the way to Lake Toba. ( About.com )

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With PayPal Galactic, PayPal Wants to Know How You’ll Pay for Your Room at Hotel Mars

With PayPal Galactic, PayPal Wants to Know How You’ll Pay for Your Room at Hotel Mars - For the most part, commercial space travel is still a few years off and any plans for space settlements still seem like the dreams of sci-fi enthusiasts.

But it’s never too early to start planning, right?

Elon Musk sure thinks so. And PayPal apparently does, too. Or at least the eBay-owned company is pretending it does, if you think the following is a big marketing gimmick.

PayPal was set to announce on Thursday that it is spearheading an initiative, dubbed PayPal Galactic, to lead a discussion around what needs to happen to commercialize other planets. How will banks need to adapt? What payment systems can work in space and between space and Earth? And when on Mars, do you tip like a New Yorker or like a European? (Okay, that last question is mine.)

Clearly, PayPal is positioning itself as the payment system capable of working on Earth, on other planets and in space. And it’s bringing together some space bigwigs to kick off the conversation by partnering with the SETI Institute on the initiative. Buzz Aldrin was expected to make an appearance Thursday morning at the launch event, as well.

So the company has obviously convinced some in the space community that this is a serious endeavor. What about you? ( allthingsd.com )

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Ten cars we wish automakers would build

 

(Photos courtesy of manufacturers) 

Ten cars we wish automakers would build - Forget about sales numbers and balance sheets. Forget about ground clearance and tire regulations and laws that make cars vanilla. Forget about Camrys and Accords. Forget about reality. This is about the dream cars manufacturers should build. Cars that serve the minority. The 1 percent. The drivers.

Here are 10 cars that could be built using parts (engines and transmission, largely) that already exist. In that sense, they aren't utterly impossible. Most won't be built because they're too wild. Or too deadly. Or too costly. Others, however, should already exist.

Whatever the case, we want every single one.

 

Audi R8 Tom Kristensen Edition

Forget Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Tom Kristensen is a living legend among drivers and race fans, with his palm print immortalized a record eight times in the Saint Nicolas district of Le Mans, France. How does a race driver get his hands cast in bronze for display in a small French town? Simple: Win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The R8 Tom Kristensen Edition honors the famous Dane with a special version of Audi's new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. Massaged to make 610 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, it matches the output of the R8 he drove to victory back in 2000. The Quattro all-wheel-drive system is scrapped in the interest of weight savings and rear-drive nirvana, while a three-pedal, six-speed sequentially shifted manual will be the only gearbox. To top it off, the R8 TKE's full-carbon bodywork is painted to match the silver and red livery of the winning No. 8 car.

This one is as easy for Audi as, say, one Le Mans win.

 

Chevrolet Sonic Boom

Chevy does well for itself with performance players at either end of its product line. The Corvette ZR1 successfully takes the fight to the bank-account-draining exotics, while the Sonic RS brings bold design to a competitive subcompact segment. But its standard 138-hp 1.4-liter mill isn't even competitive with the other hot rods in the class: Ford's Fiesta ST and Fiat's 500 Abarth.

By combining the best thing that ever happened to a Corvette with the only relevant small car Chevy has ever built, the brand has an undeniable image changer. Shoehorning the ZR1's supercharged LS9 V8 into this diminutive hatch is no small task. The longitudinal arrangement means losing the backseat and coupling the transaxle directly to the engine. But it's worth it. We're talking 638 hp driving the rear wheels through the C7's all-new Tremec seven-speed manual with active rev-matching technology.

Think BMW 1 Series M Coupe, if the M Coupe had an engine for each of its rear wheels. This isn't playing by the traditional Motor City code of warfare, and that's a good thing.

And Chevy thought its current ZR1 was crazy.

 

Ford F-150 SVT Super Raptor

Good ideas are born out of necessity. The day we watched a YouTube video of an SVT Raptor launching more than 90 feet to its death was the day we realized Ford needs to build a more robust (and far more powerful) beast.

The Super Raptor is the beast to vault hooning to another dimension: a redneck's ultimate fantasy. Ditching the weak-sauce 6.2-liter V8 (411 hp? Hah, that's cute) and replacing it with the 662-hp 5.8-liter supercharged Shelby GT500 V8 is just the beginning. Never again will you be burdened with annoyances like "approach speed." With 37-inch self-inflating beadlocked tires and 25 inches of Ram-trampling suspension travel damped by electronically adjustable magnetorheological shocks co-developed by Delphi and Fox Racing, the Super Raptor is every wannabe desert racer's reason for living. It's a literal trophy truck for the street.

The Super Raptor's version of "launch control" monitors midair throttle for perfect body pitch and automatically softens the suspension upon detecting an impending touchdown. When roaming the urban jungle's highways, the suspension can stiffen for a wallow-free ride. True, you may never see the inside of another parking garage, but real badasses don't need shade anyway.

Come on, Ford. Build one they can't break.

 

Honda CRZ-Y

Honda's CR-Z could be a hit with the sport hybrid crowd, assuming those people actually exist. Right now the biggest hang-up is its 130-hp 1.5-liter IMA engine trying to drag around 2,700 pounds. The result is a worse power-to-weight ratio than a Kia Rio.

There are rumors of a non-hybrid powertrain, but our solution retains the car's initial eco-friendly philosophy without being such a wuss about it. Raiding the parts bin across the street, the CRZ-Y utilizes SH-AWD hardware from its Acura brethren. But rather than try to cram an Acura RLX engine into its schnoz, the 310-hp V6 and seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox are mounted beneath the hatch to drive the rear wheels. Individual electric motors drive the front wheels, just like the upcoming 2015 Acura NSX. Total output is 370 hp.

On the steering wheel is a manual regeneration switch to force-charge the hybrid battery pack and a push-to-pass button to channel the juice back through the system for a brief boost of 30 additional horses. Sure, you'd sacrifice the rear seats, but some cargo space could be had by utilizing the remaining space under the hood. We wouldn't even mind if the CR-Z looked exactly the same, though our version looks a few orders of magnitude cooler.

If you're running off "the power of dreams," it can't hurt to dream a little bigger.

 

Infiniti XS 

Infiniti lost the custody battle for the sixth-generation R35 GT-R, due largely to heritage making a strong argument in Nissan's favor. Still, this doesn't excuse the fact that Nissan's premium brand is yet to fill the throne atop its product line. Infiniti needs a halo car and we've got its angel right here.

Based on the Emerg-E Concept, the Infiniti XS super coupe utilizes a repurposed version of the GT-R's twin-turbo V6. Stroked to 4.0 liters and arranged longitudinally behind the front seats, it's coupled to the GT-R's six-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which sends power to a fortified ATTESA E-TS all-wheel-drive system. Making an easy 800 hp in full attack mode, Nissan's new dial-an-engine feature will allow for deactivation of two cylinders, effectively turning this gas gulper into a more socially responsible 2.7-liter V4. Godzilla will always be cool, but it's nothing compared to life in XS.

It's the car Infiniti president Johan de Nysschen will build if he has the guts.

 

Mazda MX-5 Miata Coupe

The 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata (or just "MX-5" to the guy trying to distance himself from the stigma) is one of the best cars ever built for the driving enthusiast. But it's never been the focused driving machine it should be. It lacks two crucial components: structural rigidity and power.

The solution is obvious. Not only are fixed roofs "manlier," they also serve to improve handling, make bodies more aerodynamic, and in most cases, improve cargo space. And considering we live in an age where Kia Optimas are pumping out 274 horses, there's no excuse for this Miata coupe to make less than 200 hp. Under its hood sits a proven 263-hp 2.3-liter four-cylinder from the 2013 Mazdaspeed 3. This coupe transforms the current MX-5 from cute and fun to purposeful and capable. It should have been built 15 years ago.

Don't pretend otherwise, Mazda.

 

Mitsubishi Outlander Evolution

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution XI is a long way out at best, and that's if natural selection doesn't catch up with it first. We can only handle uncertainty for so long, which is why the Mitsubishi Outlander Evolution must happen now.

Starting with the 2013 Outlander shell, Mitsubishi Ralliart U.K. will provide its FQ-400 version of the 2.0-liter 4B11 engine (which includes a new ECU, fuel injectors, turbocharger, intercooler and exhaust system) to push output to 403 hp and 387 lb-ft of torque. Mitsubishi's six-speed dual-clutch gearbox will handle shift duties, while the Super All-Wheel Control system manages torque distribution across front, rear and center differentials. If it wasn't obvious already, this thing was built for the dunes of Dakar, which means it's easily over-engineered for any actual road you might visit.

If Ford can make a success of the SVT Raptor, there's room in the world for this badass Outlander.

 

Nissan Versa V6

Popularity isn't always desirable, especially if it's earned by being the cheapest mass-produced subcompact available in North America. With that in mind, Nissan's Versa makes the perfect charity case for developing a lust-worthy car of our dreams. Exploiting Nissan's alliance with Renault, the Versa will channel the original Renault R5 Turbo and Clio V6, evolving into a spectacular two-seat, midengine, rear-drive homage to homologation.

Fenders stretch and flare over huge 285-millimeter rear tires driven through a six-speed paddle-shift sequential gearbox, sourced from Renault's Alpine A110-50. The engine (a derivation of Nissan's naturally aspirated VQ35 V6) generates 400 French-tuned hp and 311 lb-ft of torque from air drawn through its ducted fender flares. Launch control and effortless sub-4.0-second 0-60-mph times are expected, but a new Pendulum Turn Mode feature will combine torque vectoring and the company's SynchroRev match technology for hairpin-destroying speed.

Nissan, this is your ticket back to being cool. Think about it.

 

Porsche Cayman GT3 RS

If Cinderella were a car, her name would be Cayman. Cayman isn't tasked with scrubbing floors and toilets around Stuttgart and forbidden to attend royal balls, but she is destined to forever live in the cold shadow of her elder sibling: 911 Carrera. Frankly, we're tired of Porsche pretending to throw us a bone with an inferior (yet still pretty good) substitute that is the Cayman R. We demand an uncompromised effort, the sum of Porsche's greatest parts, which would culminate in the Cayman GT3 RS.

A direct-injected 475-hp, 3.8-liter flat-6 fitted with forged pistons and titanium connecting rods is centrally mounted and paired with the latest-generation seven-speed PDK. Its carbon-skinned aluminum unibody weighs no more than 2,800 pounds. All the usual high-tech goodies like dynamic engine mounts and Porsche torque vectoring are included, as are forged aluminum center-lock wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup rubber. The 911's track record speaks for itself, but it's standing in the way of a more proficient platform starving for power.

Porsche, we dare you to prove us wrong.

 

Tesla Model R

With its Lotus-based Roadster a distant memory, Tesla Model S family sedan production in full swing and a new gullwing Model X SUV on the horizon, Elon Musk and the Tesla team are due for a dedicated all-electric performance car. The Model R coupe trades passenger seats for a more useful cargo, something Musk himself claims is the future of electric mobility.

Its stressed battery-casing substructure grows slightly to accommodate additional lithium-ion cells, totaling 100 kilowatt-hours, but that energy feeds two competition-spec supercapacitor modules. These supercapacitors, seen in use on Toyota's TS030 Le Mans Prototype, are designed for the perpetual dumping and scavenging of enormous amounts of power on command, in an instant. This means that your maniacal driving tendencies won't be as wasteful. With a Model S Performance motor mounted on each axle, the all-wheel-drive Model R produces a synergistic total of 832 hp and can send an asphalt-rippling 886 lb-ft of torque to the ground.

Musk has already proven he's not a wuss. The Model R can only reinforce the notion. ( Edmunds.com )

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Microsoft Could Be Obsolete By 2017

Microsoft Could Be Obsolete By 2017: Gartner Report - Not so long ago Microsoft was the undisputed king of technology, controlling about 90% of the market for operating systems. But as demand moved from desktops to laptops and then to tablets and smartphones, Microsoft lost its market reign to Google and Apple 

A report released today by Gartner, the technology research and advisory firm, forecasts that by 2017 shipments of devices using Google’s Android operating system will dwarf shipments of Windows PCs and phones. Shipments of Apple iPhones and iPads will be almost at parity with devices powered by Microsoft.

“Microsoft could be completely irrelevant in three or four years if they can’t make headway in the smartphone or tablet market, where they’ve been struggling,” says The Daily Ticker's Henry Blodget.

The numbers are staggering. Gartner forecasts that by 2017 the number of tablets, mobile phones and ultramobile devices will total 2.7 billion units—almost 10 times the number of desktop and notebook PCs.

The stock market already reflects this shift in the device market. “The market is basically saying [Microsoft] is not a growth story. It's treated almost like a wasting asset, if you look at the current books and current cash flow,” says Michael Santoli, senior columnist at Yahoo! Finance.

Microsoft shares are down nearly 9% year-over-year while Google shares have rallied over 25%. While Apple's shares have fallen a startling 31% year-over-year, many would argue that these numbers aren't indicative of sales and cash flow but instead of leadership changes and more competition.

The challenge Microsoft faces now is how to stay relevant. Can it catch up in the tablet and smartphone market, where it’s been operating for years without much success, or must it try something completely different?

Santoli says Microsoft may need to acknowledge that it can’t “just survive based on its old architecture.” He says the company is trapped by its “near monopoly business that makes so much money” which doesn’t inspire much risk taking.

Perhaps it’s time for Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to try something else.

“Wall Street would probably welcome that news,” Santoli notes, but it’s not clear it would make any difference -- Wall Street remains unclear on how Microsoft should reinvent itself. ( Daily Ticker )

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Cash or card?

Cash or card? Soon we'll be paying by handshake - Contactless cards are just the beginning there's a host of new ways to pay around the corner.

  

Banking of the future: Contactless cards are just the beginning there's a host of new ways to pay around the corner.

As you fumble through your wallet to find the right payment card and loyalty card at the supermarket checkout this weekend, consider the possibility of just loading up your bags and walking out the door. 

The food would not come free. Instead, the items would be scanned as you walked towards the exit and the total cost charged to your mobile device, with loyalty points added automatically. 

"The same could be true anywhere you see humans clustering to pay," said futurologist Peter Cochrane. "Technology has the ability to change all that."

Those who feel uneasy at the thought of paying for their morning coffee by waving their debit or credit card over a card reader should brace themselves for a new era in payment technology . 

Experts warn that in the coming years debit and credit cards not to mention the collection of dog-eared loyalty cards in your wallet will give way to a new generation of contactless payments, from mobile transactions to digital jewellery. 

Contactless technology has been available in the UK since 2007 and experts believe it is reaching a tipping point in terms of usage. 

"The two things that needed to happen at the same time were consumer awareness and its availability in retailers," said Michelle Whiteman of the Payments Council. "Retailers are buying into the technology now and in recent years we've seen some big names offering this payment service, which in turn raises consumer awareness. 

"The Olympics also helped showcase contactless technology, which could have been a contributing factor in raising awareness in the past year."

The most common form of contactless payment currently is contactless cards, where customers can "wave" their debit or credit card over a card reader. 

 

A  mobile payment system (REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer) 

According to figures from the Payments Council, there are currently 31.3 million credit and debit cards enabled with contactless technology and 144,000 contactless terminals in retailers including Boots, McDonald's and Ikea. 

Customers are protected from fraud when paying by contactless as with any other card payment, and are occasionally asked to enter their Pin for added security. 

The Payments Council recommends a £20 limit on transactions as extra protection from theft. 

The next stage in contactless technology is paying by mobile, and a bewildering variety of mobile payment apps and products have already been launched in the payment market. 

You can "wave and pay" with some mobile phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, which has contactless built-in through Orange's Quick Tap, while Barclays ' PayTag uses a small sticker to let your mobile work like a credit card. NatWest is trialling a contactless iPhone case called TouchPay. 

Some mobile payment systems use near field technology (NFC), which wirelessly transmits data from one device to another device nearby. Others rely on software solutions to make mobile payments. This includes companies like Square in the US and iZettle in Europe, which enable people to receive payments via an app on their smartphones and a plug-in device. 

 

PayPal inks Discover deal to bolster mobile payment platform 

PayPal is bringing its own chip and pin mobile payment service to the UK this summer, aimed at giving small businesses an alternative to cash and cheques. 

"We wanted to use something small businesses were used to, and an app is familiar territory," said Narik Patel, director of mobile merchant services at PayPal. "We designed the chip and pin device from scratch."

He said security was the top priority for PayPal customers, who total 18 million in the UK. 

"People are paranoid online and in the physical world people haven't taken to mobile devices because they think the technology is too complicated," he said. "Our brand will hopefully already be trusted and the technology is simple."

PayPal processed $14bn in mobile payments in 2012, compared to $4bn in 2011, which "shows you the speed at which people are shifting", said Mr Patel. "The concept that people are always on and always connected is really helping us."

Adam Levene, chief strategy officer at mobile innovation agency Grapple, agreed. "Clients have woken up to the potential of mobile payments and m-commerce," he said. "Consumer behaviour has really driven the change the ownership of smartphones and tablets is really changing business."

Mr Levene predicted that banks would "step up their natural role as mobile merchants" this year. 

"Disruptive start-ups are setting the trend, then banks will come in and dominate the market," he said. "They have a strong role to play."

He added: "I think there is work to be done, especially around what happens if you lose your mobile phone. There are so many parties involved who do you call to shut down your mobile so that no one can make a payment on your behalf?"

Mr Cochrane predicted that by 2015 contactless technology will have become a mainstream payment system. 

Augmented reality in action - Google/Screenshot 

By 2020, he said, cards could have disappeared as mobile devices take over and not just mobile phones. 

He said: "Personal technologies are going to become something that you wear, then a jewellery or a badge. Instead of holding up your phone to the counter, you'll be holding up a bracelet on your wrist."

He said: "This is not about technological availability, it's a question of getting people to accept it."

Ian Pearson also predicted the rise of "digital jewellery" to authenticate a payment or transfer cash in a recent report for the Payments Council on the future of transactions. 

Mr Pearson, a futurologist, said it was much harder to lose a ring than a mobile phone, and easier to scan over a reader without reaching into a pocket or bag. Customers may also be able to "pay by handshake" with data transmitted electronically through the skin. 

Another option is payment through augmented reality, where computer-generated images are superimposed onto glasses or contact lenses and coupled with gestures to pay for items. 

The authentication data needed could even be put in chips that are implanted into our skin, although he said this was on the "fringes of acceptability". 

"The vast majority of us wouldn't accept this level of invasiveness," he said. 

Mr Cochrane said by 2025, mobile payment technology would be compounded by biometrics, where our fingerprints or retinas are scanned, for example. 

Mr Pearson said security concerns could limit biometrics, as it is easy to get hold of somebody's fingerprints, for instance, and our fingerprints can't be cancelled. 

Whatever the future holds, experts agree that one traditional method of payment will endure. "I can't ever see cash disappearing," said Mr Levene. "We will always want something tangible that we associate with the numbers we see on screen." ( Telegraph )

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A screenshot from the viral Dove Real Beauty online campaign

 

Yahoo! News/YouTube: doveunitedstates - A screenshot from the viral Dove Real Beauty online campaign. 

Dove's latest Real Beauty ad went incredibly viral. Did it also signal the future of advertising? - Throughout the week, Rob Walker writes about technology and culture. Before coming to Yahoo! News, Walker wrote about technology, business and culture for The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Fast Company and Wired, as well as the public radio program Marketplace. From 2004 to 2011, he wrote the Consumed column for The New York Times Magazine, addressing consumer culture, design and marketing. His most recent book, co-edited with Joshua Glenn, is the collection “Significant Objects: 100 Extraordinary Stories About Ordinary Things.” He is also the author of “Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are” and “Letters From New Orleans.” 

The hottest topic in the marketing world these days is so-called “native” advertising: material created by advertisers, distributed by digital publications, and positioned to seem less like a zoned-off ad and more like just another bit of content.

It's controversial, because it seems to rely in part on blurring lines in ways that might mislead consumers about exactly who is responsible for what they’re reading or watching. Advocates counter that it’s a means of creating better advertising, good enough to spread and resonate on its own merits, rather than gaining attention through blunt-force interruption. 

But about a week ago, Dove released the latest iteration of its long-standing “campaign for real beauty” branding effort, and demonstrated the real holy grail of marketing: A brand-promoting effort that spreads all over the place without the advertiser paying for placement or distribution at all. Dove and one of its ad agencies hired a “forensic artist” who made sketches of various women based on their self-descriptions, and then sketches based on the descriptions of others. Results presented in online videos (distributed through Dove’s own YouTube channel) showed that the women saw themselves as less attractive than others did. 

The images were striking, and the campaign blew up, spreading largely via social media. There’s a very good chance, in fact, that you’ve already encountered it. 

The stunt was so successful, in fact, that by the end of the week there was a robust backlash underway — contending that the videos actually suggested definitions of beauty that were suspiciously skewed toward the white, young and thin, or that they forwarded a counter-productive emphasis on beauty as a measure of self-worth. 

That sounds like terrible news for the brand. But is it? What has unfurled is not a show or magazine “brought to you by Dove,” but a far-flung, earnest discussion of the meaning of beauty … brought to you by Dove. The medium was not any given publication granting access to a crowd; the medium was the crowd itself. 

Not so long ago, lots of Very Serious People were predicting that the magic of technology, among other factors, would empower ad-hating consumers to tune out irritating marketing messages once and for all. This Dove campaign is the latest powerful example of what’s actually happened: The distinction between what we label marketing and what we accept as culture keeps getting murkier. (I’ve referred to this murky-marketing phenomenon as “murketing,” and addressed it most comprehensively in Buying In: The Secret Dialog Between What We Buy And Who We Are. And yes, I just promoted my own book in the middle of a column about metastasizing promotional culture.) 

In this case, it’s remarkable not only that vast numbers of people will voluntarily participate in a debate started by the makers of a line of body washes and shampoos, but also that the brand promotes itself through starting such debates rather than saying a single word about the characteristics of its actual products. (It is less than clear, after all, what using Dove deodorant, for instance, has to do with any of this. Does using it somehow change a woman’s self-image? Is a more enlightened notion of beauty obtainable by purchasing a specific variety of lotion?) 

Referring to a strain of advertising as “native” presumably suggests that it is not an invasive stranger in the land of editorial content. What, then, should we call this sort of content, which seems to raise itself wild within the social media jungle? Perhaps we’re in the age of feral advertising. ( news.yahoo.com )

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Five Technologies That Will Change the World in 2013

Five Technologies That Will Change the World in 2013 - Keeping up with the newest technologies can be a challenge for even the most tech-savvy business owners and entrepreneurs. However, that challenge got a bit easier, thanks to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Technology Review, which today (April 23) released the 10 technologies they expect to change the world this year. 

For the list, MIT focuses on groundbreaking advancements that give people a new way to use technology.

"Every year we pick the 10 technologies we think most likely to change the world," said Jason Pontin, publisher and editor in chief of the MIT Technology Review, which published the list. "We are interested in how technologies can solve really hard problems, whose solution will expand human possibilities. These technologies are an expression of our preferences and emphases, and they grow out of our reporting over the previous year. This is the stuff we like."

Some of the technologies that have the biggest implications for businesses include the following. The full list can be found at the MIT Technology Review website. 

( http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/513981/introduction-to-the-10-breakthrough-technologies-of-2013/ )

Temporary social media

While social media has changed the way people interact in a big way, many social sites such as Facebook and Twitter have also presented problems with privacy and the availability of information. Enter temporary social media platforms like Snapchat, which allows users to send pictures that will automatically destruct after a given period of time. These new platforms are allowing users to interact socially while not broadcasting those interactions to the world. Other companies in this space include Gryphn, Wickr and Burn Note, MIT says.

Ultra-efficient solar power 

The search for practical alternative forms of energy has been going on for decades. However, the rise of ultra-efficient solar power is coming closer to making the reality of alternate energy forms come true. These breakthroughs are allowing solar power, in particular, to compete with fossil fuels.

Smart watches

Growing popularity of smartphones has changed the way and ease with which people get their information. Smart watches are taking that one step further by gathering information from smartphones and displaying them on an interactive watch. Some key manufacturers include Pebble, Son, Motorola and MetaWatch.

Robotic advancements

Advancements in robotic technology have the potential to dramatically impact the workplace as well. One new technology that is driving innovation in the workplace is Baxter, a new creation by Rethink Robotics'. The new technology is helping robots and workers work side-by-side more safely by empoloying safer technology and facial recognition software. 

Additive manufacturing

One of the most popular trends of the past year has been the development and popularization of 3-D printers. Companies are now starting to take advantage of printers that build up several layers of materials to form a fully functioning product or part. Recently General Electric has begun to take steps to print fuel nozzles for new aircrafts through 3-D printing, MIT says. ( LiveScience.com )

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Video game that makes eyes work together can help correct lazy eye

Video game that makes eyes work together can help correct lazy eye: researchers - Patching has long been used to treat a lazy eye in children, although the therapy has limited success and doesn't work at all in adults with the condition formally known as amblyopia.

Now researchers at McGill University in Montreal are testing an innovative means of improving visual function in adults with lazy eye — a puzzle video game that forces both eyes to work together to overcome the common condition.

Professor Robert Hess, left, director of research at the department of ophthalmology at McGill University and Dr. Simon Clavagnier, a McGill vision research associate, demonstrate the effect of wearing goggles while playing the game Tetris has on a lazy eye in Montreal, Monday, April 22, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

In a study published Monday in the journal Current Biology, the researchers compared the use of the online video game Tetris with patching, a treatment in which the "good" eye is covered for a lengthy period of time. The idea is to make the weak eye do all the visual work in the hope of strengthening its acuity.

The patients treated using Tetris showed a four-fold improvement in vision in their lazy eye compared with those who were patched, said ophthalmologist Dr. Robert Hess, director of McGill's vision research unit and principal investigator of the study.

Tetris is an early video game that involves manipulating shapes made of small squares — moving them side-to-side or rotating them — as they fall to the bottom of a background grid of same-sized squares. The goal is to connect different shaped blocks, putting them together in an integrated whole before they fall to the bottom.

"The game itself is sort of incidental in a way," Hess explained Monday from Montreal. "It just provides us with a platform to administer this training that we need to do in a way that's enjoyable.

"The game itself is not so important as the principle behind how we manipulate the game to do some good."

About three to four per cent of the population develops a lazy eye in very early childhood, making it the most common cause of vision problems in children. A lazy eye, which is unable to see details in sharp focus, has a number of causes, including having misaligned eyes (being cross-eyed) or having a congenital cataract that clouds the lens.

The eye itself is usually otherwise normal, as is the optic nerve that transfers visual information to the brain. The problem is with the brain's visual cortex, which has learned to suppress the information from the weak eye in favour of the other eye, leading to single-eye or monocular vision.

"We know the eye itself is fine; we know it's all in the brain," said Hess. "We're now beginning to realize that it's just the software that's gone wrong."

Typically, people with amblyopia also have little or no 3D vision, because it takes both eyes working together to provide depth of vision.

"It looks flat and boring. If you ever try walking around with a patch over one eye, the world looks miserable," Hess said of having inadequate three-dimensional depth of field.

"It's getting the brain to get out of this learned suppressive mode that we're trying to do with this game."

In the study of 18 adults with amblyopia, half played the game Tetris an hour a day for about six weeks, while the other half had a patch put over their good eye and played the game with just their bad eye.

For the first group, the idea was to make the lazy eye focus on the falling shapes, which the researchers made high contrast, and to have the dominant eye focus only on the background grid, which was rendered in low contrast.

"Using head-mounted video goggles, we were able to display the game dichoptically, where one eye was allowed to see only the falling objects and the other eye was allowed to see only the ground-plane objects," said Hess.

"And it turns out the more they do that, the more the two eyes work together for the first time ever for them, the stronger it becomes and the more we can increase the contrast in the good eye, higher and higher, and bring it all the way up so the contrast is the same.

"We know they're doing it because they're playing a video game, where to increase the contrast, they need to get a good score. And to get a good score, they need to have combined the information in two eyes."

Hess believes binocular training like this should become standard treatment for adults with amblyopia. McGill holds a patent on the technique and hopes to commercialize it for use by health professionals.

The game-based procedure also is being tested in children by researchers at the Retina Foundation in Dallas, Texas, one part of a worldwide clinical trial that will compare the video game technique against patching to see which is superior.

Finding a treatment other than patching the stronger eye would be a huge step in dealing with amblyopia, Hess said.

"It's hated. It's universally hated because kids firstly don't want to be condemned to the poor vision of their amblyotic eye. They don't want to be teased. And it's annoying to have on," he said, noting that some kids are told they need to wear an eye patch for months or even years.

"So there's lots of psychological and social reasons that have led to a low compliance."

In any case, patching is no panacea, even for kids, whose brains have more plasticity than those of adults, he said.

"It does improve vision a little bit in the younger age group, but it's never been as successful as it should be." ( The Canadian Press )

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Microsoft to unveil the next Xbox in May

The wait to learn what Microsoft has in store for the next generation now has a countdown.

Microsoft to unveil the next Xbox in May : Report - The Verge reports that the company will hold an event on May 21 to reveal the new console, with a more complete look to follow a few weeks later at E3 2013.

Industry watchers had initially expected Microsoft to unveil the successor to the Xbox 360 later this month, but sources tell The Verge that the event was pushed back. Windows blogger Paul Thurrot corroborated that during a recent episode of 'What the Tech', pointing out that indeed the date was pushed from April 24 to May 21. Yahoo! Games has independently confirmed the pushback of the event from April to May, but we’ve been unable to verify the exact date.

If the May 21 date is indeed correct, it will come almost two months to the day after Sony took the wraps off the PlayStation 4. It would also follow a precedent Microsoft set with the introduction of the Xbox 360, which was first unveiled during a televised event just a few weeks shy of E3 2005.

Like the PlayStation 4, the next Xbox (currently codenamed 'Durango') is expected to be on store shelves before the end of the year. People familiar with Microsoft's plans say the system's features are, in fact, remarkably similar to what Sony has already unveiled.

Microsoft has always had an advantage with the non-gaming components of its consoles, though, and recently hired the former president of CBS Television Studios to lead its efforts to form an Xbox studio. The company is also expected to unveil an integrated (and vastly updated) version of the Kinect motion sensor as a component of the new Xbox.

What many are wondering about most are rampant rumors that the system will require users to always be connected to the Internet, an fear that was boosted after last week's Twitter incident involving a creative director at the company.

We may not get the answer to that particular question at the May event. Like Sony, Microsoft is likely to leave several features unannounced, and considering the outcry over the concept of an ‘always on’ system, Microsoft could well avoid the topic altogether for now. May's introduction is likely meant to whet the appetite of gamers and keep them talking about it until a more complete unveiling takes place during the company’s annual press conference during E3 in June. ( Plugged In )

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Apple vs. AT&T: Turning The Tables

Apple vs. AT&T : Turning The Tables - Remember all the Apple Fanboys who took to the streets to complain about AT&T in the early days of the iPhone? I was one of them. Apple could do no wrong, but back then AT&T took it on the chin. The network was flawed, the support non-existent, the sales channel disorganized.

Since September, when iOS6 was released there’s been a pervasive problem with the iPhone on the AT&T network for users who own the new iPhone 5.

What’s been striking – almost unbelievable in fact – is the change in both how AT&T and Apple have approached the problem, and customers.

 

Is Apple Losing Its Brand Equity? 

  

Samsung And Apple To Do Battle Over Smart Watches

While AT&T has been forthright, engaged, responsive, and prompt in its dealing with customers - Apple has seemingly forgotten all of the things that has made it such a loved and respected brand among consumers.

How do I know this? Well, the same way that Apple could know it if they choose to read their own consumer discussion boards. Because there are thousands of posts with headlines like “iPhone Data Leak” and “iO6 Data Drain”.

Here are a few examples:

The Thread; ‘The iPhone 5 uses Cellular Data over WiFi?‘ has been viewed 214,370 times.

J. Christopher Edwards posted:

Certainly turning off Cellular Data is an option. But…is it what we bought an iPhone for?

I don’t want to have to turn on Data, check my email, turn off data.

Turn on data, check a movie time, turn off data.

Turn on data, check email, turn off data.

Turn on data, find directions, turn off data.

No. Apple needs to acknowledge the problem and fix it. Not have me adjust my usage to work around a poorly implemented iOS update.

I would offer that you don’t have your data usage under control, it has you under control.

I’m a very faithful Apple supporter. I have been since 1988. But this is trying my patience.

pdy3 writes:

In desperation, I have tried resetting my phone as a brand new device and not restored apps or settings at all and it still uses data across the cellular network whilst on Wifi. Looks like a call to Apple I suppose and wait for the brush off!

vintage42 posted:

my confidence in my trusty iPhone is shaken. And I don’t know how useful the iPhone will be with so much turned off.

bourgre wrote:

I’m at home on WiFi 98% of the time and my iPhone continuously ***** in cell data. The data drain is draining my bank account.

APPLE WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND FIX THIS ISSUE BEFORE ALL THE FAITHFUL GET AN ANDROID?!?

So, what does it take for the Apple faithful to rise up and turn in frustraition and anger against what has been such a supportive and reliable partner? Well, I’ve been dealing with this data ‘leak’ for seven months. I’ve been into Apple stores on both the east and west coast. Even Palo Alto, I’ve had my phone replaced. I’ve had my phone wiped. I’ve re-installed the operating system. i’ve removed every possible App. And, I don’t watch video on my phone or stream music. I read email. After one particularly long call with an Apple “Senior” Support rep I emailed him this screen capture off my phone.  

Here’s what the Apple response was:

Hello Steven,

I have reviewed your message regarding the data usage. What I have researched about this issue is the data usage from your iPhone can be high and I understand that a plan with data can be costly. But my input about that is if you can be ok or are able to better manage the data usage the iPhone has, that is great. However, if you feel it is best to change in order to keep a handle on the data your phone uses, that’s ok. I am glad to help you with this issue in any way I can.

Sincerely,

~ Rob

 Apple iOS Senior Advisor

Read that twice. Try, as I did to understand what Apple is saying? That I should abandon the iPhone? That I should pay for 1 Gig a day? Does anyone reading this believe it is possible to download 1 Gig a day of data without essentially being on the phone from morning until night streaming video? Would even that require so much data? And notice, that this is a 1GB spike, at 3:30 in the afternoon. Not a day of usage.

For what it’s worth – this is what my data usage looked like the day after the 6.1.3 update. Nice, even, small sips of data. It lasted one day, the it was back to gulping huge data again.

AT&T for their part has been amazing. Acknowledging the problem, rebating back the overages, responding to questions via social media, and frankly trying to get a straight answer out of Apple. But so far, Apple has stonewalled both AT&T and users – placing blame or simply ignoring questions and concerns.

So, it leaves us with one of two conclusions. Either, Apple has lost the internal customer-centric focus that has made it successful. Or, more ominously, Apple knows it has a massive iOS6 bug that overrides WiFi connectivity, creates a data worm that cycles the phone back and forth between iCloud, or Siri, or some other Apple data hungry service and the phone.

No doubt the Apple Ecosystem has become complex. One Apple advisor told me he thought it was iTunes match, a service I don’t use. Another suggested it was a piece of little used blogging software.

It hardly matters.

What matters is that thousands of customers at least are reporting this problem, and presumably the numbers are much higher. Phone bills are hard to manage, and data overages are particularly hard to nail down. To have to monitor usage, call support, replace devices, and be chided with haughty suggests that we should all monitor our data use is sowing the seeds for a massive defection of loyal customers.

I – for one -am thinking Android for the first time in my life. Samsung, I could be your next customer. ( forbes.com )

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