Lawmakers to Homeland Security: Social Media Monitoring Threatens Free Speech

Security Cameras


The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s monitoring of social media services could be a threat to civil liberties and online free speech, several lawmakers said during a hearing Thursday.

According to a report by a civil liberties group called the Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC, DHS paid more than $11 million to General Dynamics for a system to keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter public posts, as well as comment threads on major news websites.

EPIC’s report found that the system watches public social media posts for comments that “adversely reflect” on the government, and for responses to proposed government plans. EPIC tried to get information about the deal through a Freedom of Information request, but was denied. It then filed a successful lawsuit and was granted access to the specifics by DHS.

During Thursday’s hearing, congressmen from both sides of the asile grilled DHS about the General Dynamics deal as revealed by EPIC’s lawsuit. One Democratic representative, Jackie Speier of California, said she was “deeply troubled” by the arrangement.

The Department of Homeland Security “is not a political operation,” she added.

Pennsylvania Republican Representative Patrick Meehan also expressed doubts about the plan.

“My guess is that the average American has no problem with other private individuals reading their commentary in online writings and postings in open forums, but may feel a bit of unease knowing the federal government may be doing the same thing,” said Meehan.

Reps. Speier and Meehan elaborated on their concerns about the deal in a letter sent to DHS Thursday.

“Although there are clear advantages to monitoring social media to identify possible threats to our security, there are also privacy and civil liberties concerns implicit in this activity,” they wrote. “With its domestic mission, the Department of Homeland Security needs to be mindful of the rights of the citizens of our country to express themselves online. Not only should guidance issued by the Department permit analysts to do their jobs identifying threats, but it should also be stringent enough to protect the rights of our citizens.”

DHS Chief Privacy Officer Mary Ellen Callahan defended the agency.

According to Callahan, DHS’ social media activity has been limited to public outreach, gaining “situational awareness” when disasters strike and helping law enforcement. She added that privacy rules meant they could only collect information on public officials and during “life or death” situations.

“It is the what, not the who, being identified,” said Callahan.

Would you feel comfortable with the government monitoring your public social media posts? Sound off in the comments below.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, adventtr

More About: Facebook, Social Media, Twitter


from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/02/16/social-media-homeland-security/?utm_source=fee...

Jennifer Hudson’s Tribute to Whitney Houston Tops Google Trends [VIDEO]


Americans woke up Monday morning with the Grammys and Whitney Houston on their minds — and they rushed to Google’s search bar to get their fix of both the topics that dominated conversations over the weekend.

Pop icon Houston died Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles on the eve of music’s biggest event. Producers of the 54th Grammy Awards immediately handpicked Jennifer Hudson to sing Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” hit at Sunday’s ceremony.

As of 1 p.m. ET, 19 of the 20 most-searched items on Google at that moment dealt with Grammy topics, and “jennifer hudson tribute to whitney houston” was the top trending search term.

An official video of Hudson’s performance has yet to be released and videos uploaded on YouTube have been getting pulled because of copy claims from CBS. The lack of an official clip is likely helping to fuel the search hike.

SEE ALSO: Are Artists Luring Grammy Votes Via Social Media? | Grammy Blog Transcript

The embed above is from Perez Hilton’s entertainment blog, which also has published tributes from Elton John and Dubai. Hilton also notes that the Glee cast recorded its unreleased version of “I Will Always Love You” before Houston’s death. Glee‘s rendition will now serve as tribute on Tuesday’s episode and will play before the credits, Perez reports.

Hudson had previously sang the song in front of Houston in 2010 during a BET Honors show. The YouTube videos of that performance were taken down overnight.


BONUS: Whitney Houston’s Fellow Artists and Friends React to Her Passing


People across the world turned to Twitter on Saturday to post digital tributes to and messages about Houston.


@MariahCarey


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More About: celebrities, Entertainment, google trends, grammys, Jennifer Hudson, Music, viral-video-of-the-day, whitney houston

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from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/02/13/jennifer-hudsons-tribute-to-whitney-houston/?u...

Why AOL Ventures Is Targeting Early Stage Startups [VIDEO]

AOL Venture, the venture capital arm of AOL, is one part early-stage investment firm and one part incubator of new and unique AOL products. The focus on seed and series A rounds is unusual among corporate investors, and founding partner Mike Brown, Jr. says it is because the fund is focused on helping entrepreneurs succeed early on and building AOL’s reputation in the early stage community. Though relatively young, AOL Ventures has already assembled an impressive portfolio of investments, including participation in rounds with startups like Bit.ly, About.me, OpenX and NewsCred.

Watch our interview with Brown, Jr. to find out how AOL Ventures got started, what types of companies they’re looking to invest in and why strong management teams are so important.

This Venture Studio Classic was originally released on June 28, 2011.

Follow Venture Studio, in association with Mashable. The show is hosted by Dave Lerner, a 3x entrepreneur and angel investor. To join Venture Studio’s Facebook page, click here.


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More About: aol, entrepreneurship, investing, mashable video, Startups, Venture, venture capital, venture studio, Video

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from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/02/16/aol-venture-video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_m...

Tickets on Sale Now for Mashable’s Biggest Conference of the Year


Mashable’s largest conference, Mashable Connect, returns to Orlando, FL this year from May 3 – 5. Our annual destination conference brings our community together for three days to connect offline in an intimate setting at the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World®. Registration is now open.

Held in a unique location away from everyday distractions, Mashable Connect is a rare and valuable opportunity to be surrounded by digital leaders across industries. You’ll spend time with Mashable’s passionate and influential community, hear from top speakers who will provide insight into the the technologies and trends that are shaping the next era of digital innovation, and get to spend time with the Mashable team.

To keep Mashable Connect as intimate as possible, only a limited amount of tickets are available.

Register for Mashable Connect 2012 in Lake Buena Vista, FL on Eventbrite

We have a stellar lineup of speakers, and will be signing on even more in the coming weeks.

Cindy Gallop, founder and CEO of IfWeRanTheWorld.com, will be speaking about new digital business models, and Duane Bray, partner of IDEO, will explore the future of digital tools and their impact on society.

Hilary Mason, chief scientist at Bit.ly, will reveal secrets of data, and Alexander Ljung, founder and CEO of Soundcloud, will provide new insights into sound.

Joe Trippi, founder and president of Joe Trippi & Associates, has been at the forefront of movement politics for nearly 30 years, and will speak about the impact of digital on campaigns.

Mashable team members will be leading discussions onstage about the evolution of the second screen and the future of mobile-first networking apps. And we’ll be sitting down with Joe Fernandez, founder and CEO of Klout, for a conversation about online reputation.

We’ll be announcing even more speakers and topics in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for some exciting updates about Mashable Connect.



A Look Back at Last Year’s Mashable Connect



1. Mashable Connect Race Powered by Gowalla


Team members check in to a race location at Magic Kingdom during the Mashable Connect Race powered by Gowalla.

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A limited number of sponsor opportunities are available for Mashable Connect. This is an excellent opportunity to get in front of Mashable’s passionate and influential audience. Contact sponsorships@mashable.com for opportunities.

More About: Connect, disney, Events, learn, mashable connect, networking

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from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/02/16/mashable-connect-tickets-on-sale/?utm_source=f...

Boston Researchers Are Trying to Grow Human Organs In Lab

Heart cells from a rat in Boston lab. Photo taken from CBS.com

Ali Khademhosseini, a Boston based researcher, along with a team of 50 more at Brigham and Women’s are working on an ambitious project to use human cells to grow working organs in a laboratory according to CBS.

The idea is to eventually eliminate, as the article puts it, “one of medicine’s greatest bottlenecks: the need for donors.”

According to OrganDonor.gov, there are 113,030 people waiting for an organ, 18 of which die a day.

Fully functional human organs engineered in a lab are still years away, but the project has shown promise in tests that utilized the heart cells from rats. According to the CBS report, the cells “now beat in sync on their own, after several weeks of nurturing in the lab.”

The article goes on to say that, “The cells are grown in a gel-like substance on a scaffold which helps realign and shape the tissue under conditions that closely replicate development in the human body.”

It’s incredible how the world of medicine tops itself on a daily basis. It is my hope, should I ever die, that it’s from falling from a height so immense and all of my organs become readily available, right there on the ground, for the paramedics to rush to the patients in need. Or to the lab to re-grow and make me a super scientific indestructible version of my former self, whatever is more pressing when the time comes.

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/2012/02/16/boston-researchers-are-trying-to-grow-human-or...

Boston Scores PAX East Through 2023; Mass Gaming Industry to Get the Shot in the Arm That it Needs

Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and MCCA Executive Director Jim Rooney (left) announced PAX East's commitment to the BCEC through 2023.

The massive PAX East gaming convention has a home at Boston Convention and Exhibition Center through 2023, Jim Rooney, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority’s executive director, announced this morning alongside a Lt. Governor Tim Murray and several representatives from the state’s video game industry.

Started in 2010, PAX East quickly developed into one of the city’s biggest attractions, while shining a spotlight on the state’s gaming industry. More than 70,000 people are expected to attend the event this year, scheduled for April 6-8.

“This is an event that’s helping making Boston and Massachusetts a center of the gaming universe,” Rooney said at the 10 a.m. news conference at the BCEC.

Speaking to the crowd alongside Rooney, Murray and MCCA Board Chair Michelle Shell were Becker College President Robert Johnson, also the board chair of the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute. MassDiGi’s executive director, Tim Loew, was also in attendance, along with Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council president Tom Hopcroft and Vice President of Operations at Turbine Games Ken Surdan.

All of the speakers representing the state’s government, entertainment, education and technology sectors made it clear they’d like PAX East’s 10-year commitment to Boston to be the shot in the arm for Massachusetts’ burgeoning gaming industry.

“This is where America began. If you think about the human spirit of building from the ground up, why not have PAX East here, right here in Boston?” Johnson said. “Why not have an industry that can grow and thrive in the commonwealth?”

MassDiGi was presented with a check for $325,000, to be paid for over the next decade, by PAX East

Johnson said he wants the institute to play a role in getting gaming companies, from startups to big firms, growing and thriving in the area. As part of its commitment to the BCEC, PAX East pledged today to donate $25,000 per year for the next 10 years to MassDiGi.

“Massachusetts is unlike a lot of other states,” MassDiGi’s Loew said. “We have that educational infrastructure, entrepreneurial spirit and the history of innovation that makes our state uniquely suited for game development. We are a brains and innovation state and this is a brains and innovation industry.”

There was no question PAX East would continue to draw thousands of visitors and boost the economy of the city during the convention. But in order to draw companies to not just New England, but Massachusetts, Lt. Gov. Murray said it would take state legislation to accelerate growth and keep outfits like Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios leaving for neighboring states. Turbine is owned by Warner Bros. and Zynga’s Boston offices are a legacy of its 2010 Conduit Labs buyout.

“PAX East is coming home to a state with growing companies like Turbine and top-ranked video game education institutions like Becker, WPI and MIT,” Murray said. “And it’s coming home to a state that wants to nurture and grow this industry.”

He said state legislation filed and led by Worcester representative John Mahoney could give tax breaks to gaming companies.

Greg Topalian, senior vice president for Reed Pop which helps put on PAX East, said the Boston community has welcomed the event since it was held in 2010 at Hynes Convention Center. Projected attendance figures for the three-day event are pegged at 70,000 people this year, although some would like to see that grow to 100,000 by 2023. Already, three-day passes are sold out.

While Massachusetts’ goal is to keep more gaming companies within its borders, Topalian, who also spoke at the news conference, said the goal isn’t to boost PAX East’s mass appeal for the sake of attendance.

“The show has never been about mass appeal, it’s for the gaming community,” Topalian said. “It’s a celebration of the gaming community.”

Photos/Zac Estrada

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/2012/02/15/boston-scores-pax-east-through-2023-mass-gamin...

Pixable Brings the Hashtag to Facebook Photos


Photo-sorting app Pixable is bringing the Twitter-style hashtag to Facebook photos.

The startup’s core service sorts images from your Facebook and Twitter feeds into piles such as “Top of the Day,” “New on Twitter” and “New Profile Pics.” Now you can tag the photos in these categories with hashtags and see them in your Facebook Timeline.

A new Facebook Timeline integration will show activity on the app within modules on user timelines. Photos with hashtags show up in a separate module in your timeline that functions like an album collection organized by sentiment rather than event. Using the new feature, you can sort the photos you view on Pixable — from both you and your friends on Facebook and Twitter — into piles such as #cute, #nyc, #friends or #birthday both within the app and on your Facebook profile.

Other Pixable Facebook Timeline modules include a roundup of favorited photos each month and a general log of app activity.

So far about 1.5 million people have installed Pixable on their iPhones and 300,000 have installed it on their iPads. About 20% of them log in every day.

“People are treating this more like a photo inbox,” explains Pixable co-founder Andres Blank. “The photos that really matter come to you, you don’t have to go on a hunt.”

While focusing on photo consumption rather than broadcasting is what distinguishes Pixable from other photo apps, it also puts the app at a disadvantage when it comes to growing its numbers.

Hashtags are Pixable’s first broadcasting mechanism. When you add one to a photo, it can be Tweeted, Facebooked or shared with the rest of the community. Users can also browse public photos by hashtag.

More About: Facebook, Photos, Pixable

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from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/02/16/pixable-hashtag-facebook-photos/?utm_source=fe...

ABC News Taps Bluefin Labs for Social Media Analysis in Upcoming Election

ABC News has enlisted the help of Boston based Bluefin Labs for their coverage of key nights during the upcoming election season according to an article on MediaBistro.com. The two companies will be able to accurately measure the sheer weight and volume of how people, viewers like you and I, react to television coverage of the 2012 election based on the things we post on our favorite social media platforms.

Here’s a bit from the article that will explain what the collaboration means:

“Bluefin Labs technology…provides a real-time view into social media conversations about TV – volume of social buzz, topics of conversation, sentiment and trends. This technology allows ABC to tap into voters’ reactions and bring TV viewers into the conversation like never before.”

According to the article, ABC will utilize social media posts and comments, analytics and data visualizations in addition to their regular coverage of Super Tuesday, the presidential and vice presidential debates, the Republican and Democratic conventions, Election Night and the inauguration.

This could ultimately make social media every bit as important to ABC’s coverage as the election itself. No longer will the anchor have the only word.

As we’ve seen in just the past two weeks with the Grammy Awards and the Super Bowl, Social TV is the norm now. We are a two-screen nation. We tweet while we watch and vice versa.

Politicians can dwell on the black skies all they want. We live on a different cloud.

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/2012/02/15/abc-taps-bluefin-labs-for-social-media-analysi...

Time Warner Cable targets end of March for live TV on Android, MyTWC on iOS now

Time Warner Cable promised live TV streaming would make the leap from iOS to Android devices after Ice Cream Sandwich rolled out, and now Director of Digital Communication Jeff Simmermon tweets that it could go live by the end of March. That's described as a "very loose" date however, so don't get your Tab's and Nexus' hopes up to high just yet. This comes just after it launched a beta for live TV streaming to PCs, and on the same day the company revealed the formerly Android-exclusive MyTWC app for iOS. It handles more mundane tasks like bill payment, call forwarding and voicemail, but interested subscribers can grab the free app from iTunes at the link below.

Time Warner Cable targets end of March for live TV on Android, MyTWC on iOS now originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashgear  |  sourceiTunes, TW Cable Untangled, @jeffTWC (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

from Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/15/time-warner-cable-targets-end-of-march-for...

Twitter Tool Will Help Journalists Break News [VIDEO]

A new software tool will help journalists see breaking news tweets as they are happening. The program, called Seriously Rapid Source Review, is still under development — but will act like a sieve that pull tweets from key sources currently sharing reports, images and video from the ground.

Researchers at Rutgers University and Microsoft developed Seriously Rapid Source Review to give journalists access to breaking news like never before. Reporters won’t have to comb the web — or Twitter’s 200 million tweets a day — for sources.

Nick Diakopoulos, one of the project’s authors, stated in a blog post that the program was built to deal with how much news is breaking on social media these days. Its features should help journalists distinguish accurate and trustworthy sources.

SRSR features include automatic identification of eyewitnesses with approximate 89% precision and will list users in various archetypes — journalists, bloggers, organizations or unaffiliated citizens.

To avoid a false tweet problem, such as the preemptive report of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno’s death in January, SRSR will use context clues to assess the verity and credibility on sources based on their Twitter profiles. The program will determine where a person says they are, plus look at the locations of friends and followers within a source’s network.

Another component will look at the top five most mentioned companies, people or places mentioned in someone’s feed.

The SRSR culls data from Twitter profiles, user-provided descriptions, data from follower and following lists. A report based on a search term will compile the sources sharing tweets that match the search terms.

SEE ALSO: How Whitney Houston News Broke — and Exploded — on Twitter

The SRSR is still in its development stage. The researchers have not used been able to use real-time Tweets because of limitations in applying the Twitter API. For this project researchers used pre-collected and processed data from Twitter.

As for using the current prototype to catch the first couple tweets about Whitney Houston’s death, Diakopoulos tells The Poynter Institute, it’s unlikely that SRSR would have caught the very first tweets. Future developments, however, can lead to these connections.

Tell us in the comments if you personally take steps to verify tweets before retweeting or reporting news.

[via Poynter]

More About: journalism, Social Media, social networking, Twitter


from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/02/15/seriously-rapid-source-review/?utm_source=feed...