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Sony divisions to elope in Vegas, celebrate the marriage of Television and Internet at CES 2012

Well, we can't decide if this is one of the cheesiest or most clever event invites in CE history. Sony's PR arm just sent us an e-vite to the marriage of Sony Electronics Home Division and Sony Entertainment Network, simplified to "Television and Internet" on the company's appropriately generic Wedsite wedding page. Now this won't be a cheap Vegas wedding by any means -- the ceremony will take place at the Bellagio Wedding Chapel on the evening of January 11th, with a "Reception Immediately Following." Since this is technically a marriage between cousins, we've spent time with both the bride (Bravia) and the groom (Sony Entertainment Network -- or SEN, when among friends), so we mean no offense if forced to choose sides in the chapel. Coincidentally, we'll already be in town, so we may pop in to greet the likes of family members "Al Gore, Father of the Internet" and HMZ-T1, aka "Aunt Madge." Care to come along? The couple-to-be's site appears to be open to all, so hit up the source link to sign the guest book and send in your RSVP.

Sony divisions to elope in Vegas, celebrate the marriage of Television and Internet at CES 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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from Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/sony-divisions-to-elope-in-vegas-celebrate...

Gracenote launches ACR TV recognition, HABU mood-based music curation

It's that pop song again -- you know, the one that forces you to flip the radio to anything else. But still, you're dying to know what it's called, if only to avoid hearing it ever again. Boom Boom? Heartbeat? Shazam! Super Bass, by Nicki Minaj. If you haven't used Shazam, chances are you know someone that does, and often. Gracenote's new Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology takes that same concept and applies it to TV shows and movies, and it's coming soon to a smartphone or tablet near you. A yet-to-be-named app will let your device "listen" to whatever you're watching, identifying TV shows and movies based on dialogue or the soundtrack, then displaying a variety of info about whatever's on screen. Gracenote is also expanding its audio offerings, showing off both HABU and MoodGrid, which are mood-based music curation services for mobile devices and in-car systems, respectively. Software groups songs based on emotional themes, then plays them back depending on your selected mood. Happy? Sad? Intrigued? We'll need to wait until CES for the full scoop from Gracenote.

Gracenote launches ACR TV recognition, HABU mood-based music curation originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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from Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/gracenote-launches-acr-tv-recognition-habu...

Why Quora’s New Boards Feature Makes It a Better Network


Quora’s relationship with the Q&A format is no longer exclusive. As of Tuesday, you can also use the site to arrange content from around the web on Pinterest-like boards.

While the move seems like an odd one for a startup most often defined as a Q&A platform, it also opens up an opportunity for Quora to become the most prominent interest-based network — a chance the platform didn’t stand while married to Q&A.

“It’s like if it were really easy to create lots of sub-Twitter accoutns for yourself,” Quora co-founder Charlie Cheever tells Mashable about Quora’s new Boards feature. “Social services tend to pull you toward a set of shared interests within a group, but if you’re interested in something else, there’s not a great place to talk about it.”

On Cheever’s Twitter feed, for instance, a lot of people tweet about football throughout the weekend. About as many people complain they hate it when people tweet about football. With Quora boards, someone who likes football can create a board for it and spare their football-hating fans from quarterly game updates. Meanwhile, football haters can still follow the same person’s board about tech news. It’s different than following people; it’s following interests.


The Q&A site has actually been an interest-based community for some time. Users have been able to follow both others on the network and threads on specific questions as updates in their news feeds. But there have been a couple of factors that limited its capacity as an interest-based network. The first is that there has been no good way to curate questions under topics that can be followed. Quora introduced “topic groups” in June to solve this problem by creating feeds of questions relevant to certain topics, but they aren’t available for every topic and can’t be created instantly.

The other factor holding Quora back from functioning as an awesome interest network was that the feed was restricted to content created on Quora, whereas other social networks like Facebook and Twitter have the wealth of the Web to draw upon.

Boards hit both of these birds with one stone by allowing users to create new topics with content from both Quora and elsewhere.

Quora already allowed its decently sized userbase to share their expertise, approach topics from different angles and follow their interests rather than people. Now it does so in a way that makes it easier to follow more content, and thus more likely to scale.

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from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2011/12/20/quora-boards/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium...

Twitter Takes TextSecure, Texting App for Dissidents, Open Source

android security


A technology that helped start a global movement is now being put into the hands of the people. TextSecure, an Android app that encrypts text messages and is popular among activists in many countries, is now open source, thanks to Twitter.

Twitter acquired the company that makes TextSecure, Whisper Systems, last month. In countries where governments have more strict control over wireless networks, Whisper Systems’ apps have been extremely helpful to dissidents wanting to communicate and organize securely.

Now Twitter has just turned TextSecure into open-source software, meaning those same dissidents can engineer new features and adapt the software for their own purposes, potentially making them even more secure.

Whisper also has another app, RedPhone, which encrypts voice calls on Android devices, though that one hasn’t been made open source yet. Twitter says it’s going to open up Whisper’s products slowly, saying in a blog post that it needs to “make sure it meets legal requirements and is consumable by the open source community.”

Both TextSecure and RedPhone were unavailable when Mashable tried to download them from the Android Market earlier today. (See the clarification below.)

The apps certainly had their fans. Movements.org, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting “grassroots digital activists,” cites Whisper Systems’ apps in a how-to on securing Android devices. The company’s transition to Twitter wasn’t smooth for the users of its apps, though — the company had to take RedPhone offline right when Egypt’s elections were happening last month, leading to many complaints.

Clarification: After publication, Twitter told us that Whisper Systems “removed both services from the market, coinciding with their acquisition (and in anticipation of today’s news).”

More About: open source, texting, textsecure, Twitter

from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2011/12/20/textsecure-open-source/?utm_source=feedburner&...

WD TV Live, Live Hub get an official iOS remote app, Vudu streaming and more

Western Digital is making sure its hardware can keep pace in the media streamer arms race, matching recent additions by Microsoft and Roku by issuing updates of its own. New services added to the WD TV Live and WD TV Live Hub boxes are Vudu (with HDX 1080p support, unlike the Xbox 360), SnagFilms, XOS College Sports, SEC Digital, Comedy Time and Watch Mojo. To help users navigate through all the extra content, it also recently rolled out its own official iOS remote app, although like Roku, there have already been a few unofficial options available as well. The WD TV remote is a free app and offers direct access to any of the services on your WD TV box and even multiplayer gaming provided all devices are on the same network. An Android version is said to be in the works, for now owners can check out all the details in the press release after the break or hit iTunes to download the app.

Continue reading WD TV Live, Live Hub get an official iOS remote app, Vudu streaming and more

WD TV Live, Live Hub get an official iOS remote app, Vudu streaming and more originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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from Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/wd-tv-live-live-hub-get-an-official-ios-re...

Are You Watching This?! sports tracker for Android adds remote control for DirecTV, TiVo, Google TV

The Are You Watching This?! app has a long history of making sure sports fans don't miss the big games with its bookmarklets and apps that popped up notifications or emailed reminders. Now a new upgrade on Android, along with a few connected TV platforms, has taken things to the next level. In its newest iteration, the free app ties into DirecTV, TiVo or Google TV setups with IP control for one click switching to the appropriate channel -- key when a game is coming down to the last play and you're not sure where the remote is or which channel NBA / NFL / MLB etc. action is on. There's varying levels of filtering options so users can see alerts just when their team is playing, any decent matchup or just the must-see finishes.

We gave it a shot and found it worked as advertised, only requiring the app to be installed and enabled on the Google TV and our Android phone (DirecTV and TiVo boxes should be ready to go), however even though we already had our local channels set up on the TV, we had to enter our ZIP and cable provider on the remote app as well. We're starting to see similar companion technology built into apps from DirecTV, TiVo and Comcast, as well as Dijit's software, however the RUWT? game tracker algorithm and focus on live scores gives it a leg up for sports freaks. Check out the video trailer embedded above for a quick look or hop over to the Android Market to install it on phone, tablet and/or TV.

Are You Watching This?! sports tracker for Android adds remote control for DirecTV, TiVo, Google TV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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from Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/are-you-watching-this-sports-tracker-for-a...

Why My Coverage of Credit Card Offers Has Grown

A few days ago I received an email from reader Alex K:

Hi Gary,

Just wanted to say thanks for the great Koh Samui trip report and all the posts over the years. I booked our trip to Hong Kong / Krabi / Samui this week. Free business class flights via CX & JL and 11 free nights total split at the W Hong Kong, Sheraton Krabi and Conrad Koh Samui – all via credit card sign ups. Ridiculous. I cannot wait to get to the Conrad – what an incredible base level room. 4 nts in a pool villa at 145k pts axon award, plus free breakfast as an Amex Surpass gold? Simply awesome.

Thanks again,
Alex

The banks truly do want to send you around the world in a premium class of service for free. Credit cards represent a plurality of mileage earning. And signup bonuses are the easiest and quickest way to generate large amount of miles quickly.

Back in October I wrote on this blog that I had signed up for an online service that would provide me with referral credits for using links to credit card offers.

For years I’ve been writing about credit card signup bonuses, and recommending specific cards, and sending thousands of people to the card companies to apply for their offerings. Those companies are willing to pay a referral for this, but I was just letting Chase, Citibank, and American Express keep it.

I’ve been writing this blog for nearly 10 years and it’s a tremendous labor of love, for most of that time there hasn’t even been advertising revenue, I’m grateful to the folks at BoardingArea for setting this up so that the banner ads on this site at least send me a small check in the mail each month. It’s not a ton, but every little bit extra helps.

So it is with credit card referral bonuses, you don’t have to use my links of course but I’m asked pretty regularly what readers can do to say thank you for the advice and offers I’ve highlighted over the years. I’ve generally just said that helping their travel be better is thanks enough and it is, but when GoogleAds or a bank credit card offer wants to do the thanking for folks I’m happy for that to happen! I’ve had two or three readers over the years insist on sending gifts, the very best one was the Playmobil airport security play set.

But honestly, I have found writing the blog rewarding enough and instead of sending me a gift I’d rather you use the funds to pay fuel surcharges on an award ticket or maybe buy some upgrade stickers for yourself.

I do want folks to know, though, that when I post a link to a credit card offer that sometimes I’ll benefit from your signup using that link. That’s why nearly every time I include a link to a credit card that offers a referral bonus, I write so in the past. I’ve also included this information in the ‘About Me’ page on this blog.

While I do offer these ‘disclosures’ I also think that readers deserve quite a lot of credit. It’s clear to most what is a good offer and not a good offer, what works for an individual circumstance and what doesn’t. I want folks to know they can trust me, and I don’t hide when there’s a referral, but I’m not sure the referral matters as much as I even thought initially. I think that most television and newspaper pundits and columnists who write about miles or finance issues ought to be required to disclose, “Don’t listen to me because I have no idea what I’m talking about.” What matters most is the strength of the offer, the explanation, the argument.

I never recommend a card that I wouldn’t get myself or that I wouldn’t have recommended before doing affiliate links. I’ve also continued to recommend plenty of cards that don’t offer anything to me. And when there’s a link that will offer something to me, and an offer that will not, I always highlight the better offer for my readers. If I post a link, it’s to the best offer I’m aware of. If you ever know of a better offer than the one I post, I very much appreciate your bringing it to my attention either in the comments or by email and I’m happy to substitute the better offer for whatever I’ve linked to in my post.

What I have realized is that I think about credit cards more than I used to, thus I write about credit cards more than I used to. I actually think that’s better for my readers, I used to post a new link when there was a big credit card bonus but I didn’t explain the ins and outs of churning cards for bonuses, how to negotiate to get approvals, which cards to keep, which to put what spending on versus get just for the bonuses, etc. So far most have found that worthwhile, but it is a change to my blogging and I recognize that.

I’ve never been in this to get rich and I certainly won’t get rich. But a little bit extra means I might take an extra trip and it also means I’m able to make some extra charitable donations at the end of this year.

Still, it’s important to draw lines. I want to offer useful comment, and with how lucrative credit card offers are and years of experience in maximizing them I think I do. I also don’t want to become too unbalanced, I want to offer all of the other sorts of content that I always have.

And it’s important to draw lines. Some of the banks that will offer to credit me for applications have also offered to pay for posts on a specific topic. I decline without any discussion. Even when they were topics I might have posted on anyway. I’ve also been offered money to place a specific credit card at the top of my list of best current offers. I declined. It is very important to draw lines and stick to those lines I think.

Regular readers also know that companies offer me things all the time to promote their products, if I think they might be fun or interesting I just ask if I can give the products away here on the blog. They still get their product written about, I’m not after a free night’s stay at a Hyatt Place or Marriott Courtyard, I’ve given away high-end luggage and even Visa gift cards.

Some blogs have become less useful and interesting, I think, because of their focus on credit cards and because they are no longer about providing the best information for frequent flyers. I write what I do here to memorialize my thoughts, I frequently look up my own posts to find deals that I remember or strategies from the past, it’s my own reference and journal that I also share with the world. I’ve put too much into my blog for the last 10 years to change the way I think about what I post, it’s about getting the most out of miles, points, and travel and I get all the joy in the world out of notes like Alex K’s. Which is why I don’t promote things I don’t find useful myself.

By giving away the products that are offered to me, and sticking to the most useful offers, I try to make sure you get value out of reading this blog and it isn’t too commercialized.

from View from the Wing http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfromthewing/2011/12/21/why-my-coverage-of-c...

Nielsen and comScore Settle Suit Over Online Measurement Patents


The Nielsen Co. and comScore on Wednesday settled a lawsuit filed by the former over patents that Nielsen claimed comScore used without the company’s consent.

As part of the deal, Nielsen has acquired $19 million in comScore restricted common stock with neutral voting requirements. In return, comScore gets ownership of the four Nielsen families of patents named in the suit. The companies have also agreed not to bring any patent action against each other for the next three years.

Nielsen sued comScore in March over the patents, which relate to measuring and displaying online content. Nielsen cited more than 30 products that it claimed violated those patent rights. As Paid Content pointed out in March, suing comScore could have bogged both companies down in expensive litigation if they hadn’t reached some sort of settlement.

Since the details of the arrangement open the door to more cooperation between the companies, Laura Martin, an analyst at Needham & Co. who covers Nielsen, says that a merger would be plausible. “It’s not outlandish,” she says. “They’re both big measurement firms.” But Martin says she doesn’t know if such a merger would raise anti-trust concerns. Reps from Nielsen and comScore could not be reached for comment.

While Nielsen and comScore appear to have reached an amicable solution, the issue of patent ownership is still a pressing concern for some tech companies, namely Google, which waged a public war of words with Apple and Microsoft over the summer. At the time, the company claimed its competitors were stifling innovation by hoarding patents related to wireless technology. The patents bumped the price of every Android device up $15, David Drummond, svp and chief legal officer of Google, wrote at the time.

Patents were also a primary impetus for Google’s $12.5 billion bid to buy Motorola Mobility in August. However, Google’s problems with patents continued this week as the International Trade Commission ruled that some devices using Google’s Android mobile OS violate Apple patents.

Image courtesy of Stockphoto, hronos7

More About: ComScore, Google, Nielsen, patents

from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2011/12/21/nielsen-and-comscore-settle-suit-over-online-m...