CRM News: Internet

Can a Fresher Flickr Be Yahoo's Ray of Sunshine?
May 16, 2012

Flickr announced a redesign recently, introducing larger onscreen displays for high-res images. The photo sharing site launched what it calls its "liquid layout," stating that "Large sizes + Low compression = Beautiful photos." Since Flickr uses less compression than many other image sharing sites, it claimed, the detail and color of Flickr photos is richer.

The BBC's Olympian Streaming Ambitions
May 16, 2012

Today in international tech news: The BBC unveils plans to stream all 2,500 hours of the Summer Olympics. Elsewhere, Apple has reportedly engaged in talks with China Mobile, the world's biggest phone company, about teaming up to offer the iPhone; a criminal gets busted in Columbia for failing to log out of Facebook; and a report suggests most computer users in the world have acquired pirated wares.

Facebook's Future May Still Be in Play
May 15, 2012

Half of Americans believe the social network giant Facebook is just a passing fad, and a similar number believe the expected asking price in its upcoming IPO is too high, according to a new poll. Since the dot-com boom of the 1990s ended with a dot-com bust, many once-dominant players have fallen by the wayside. Will Facebook share their fate?

Windows 8 Browser Brouhaha Draws Regulator Attention
May 15, 2012

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee plans to examine allegations that Microsoft is giving its own Internet Explorer Web browser preferential treatment over competing Web browsers in a version of its upcoming Windows 8 operating system. "This is a preliminary inquiry," said Lynn Becker, communications director for Sen. Herb Kohl. Kohl is a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Microsoft Sets Sail With Russian Pirate Hunters
May 15, 2012

Today in international tech news: Microsoft backs Russian startup "Pirate Pay," which claims it can track and thwart illicit downloads around the globe. Elsewhere, Renren, China's Facebook equivalent, releases a lackluster earnings report, while Baidu, China's Google equivalent, enters the smartphone market -- and taps into the void left by the country's block of Google Drive.

Sapphire Now: It's a Mobile, Social, Cloudy, Collaborative World
May 15, 2012

The Sapphire Now conference kicked off Monday in Orlando, Fla., with 60,000 customers, partners and employees of SAP participating, either at the conference facility or watching it online. The first day of the event offered the usual lineup of celebrity speakers -- corporate and otherwise -- with Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong featured in the morning and SAP Co-CEO Bill McDermott in the afternoon.

Cofounder's Renunciation of US Citizenship Unlikely to Hurt Facebook IPO
May 14, 2012

Facebook cofounder Eduardo Saverin, a Brazilian native who is currently a resident of Singapore, has given up his U.S. citizenship. The widely-held assumption is that Saverin wanted to escape the tax liability he would assume from the Facebook initial public offering, expected as early as this week, by becoming a citizen of Singapore.

Facebook Offers Users a Megaphone for Hire
May 14, 2012

Facebook is testing a new feature that offers to promote users' posts and status updates for a fee. The new service is currently only available in New Zealand. There, Facebook users can pay $2 to "highlight" a post, making it more visible to a greater number of their Facebook contacts.

Facebook's Face-Melting Fast European Network
May 14, 2012

Today in international tech news: Ahead of its upcoming IPO, Facebook taps a Swedish telecommunications company to build and operate a massive pan-European optical network. Elsewhere, Change.org launches a UK platform, Apple decides to drop "4G" from the third-generation iPad, and Facebook cofounder Eduardo Saverin renounces his U.S. citizenship.

FBI Sounds Alarm on Hotel WiFi Caper
May 14, 2012

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned overseas travelers to be careful when using hotel WiFi networks. "Recent analysis from the FBI and other government agencies demonstrates that malicious actors are targeting travelers abroad through pop-up windows while establishing an Internet connection in their hotel rooms," a bulletin from the Internet Crime Complaint Center said last week.

Pulling a Zuckerberg, or How to Kill a $100B IPO
May 14, 2012

Last week was rather quiet except for the increasing drama surrounding Facebook and what was to be their $100B IPO. It could still be, but thanks to its young, inexperienced, and clearly still-maturing CEO, it found itself digging out of an avoidable hole. Its experienced executive team was by all reports doing a terrific job until Zuckerberg decided to show up at an IPO pitch in a hoodie.

Windows RT and the Dastardly Browser-Exclusion Deed
May 14, 2012

Life is never dull here in the world of technology, but some weeks it's hard to remember that this is actually the real world, and not some epic tale of the battle between good and evil. We've seen plenty of examples of good pulling ahead in the struggle in recent weeks, of course -- but there's never any shortage of dastardly deeds being committed, either.

Mozilla and Google ARMwrestle Microsoft
May 12, 2012

Mozilla and Google are challenging Microsoft's decision to shut out all browsers other than Internet Explorer from Windows 8 devices that use ARM processors. This restricts user choice, reduces competition, chills innovation, and might have antitrust implications, among other bad things, Mozilla general counsel Harvey Anderson asserted.

The Thompson Crisis: Sloppy Whopper or Poor Career Personal Hygiene?
May 11, 2012

It's been more than a week since Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson's resume blew up in his face, and by the looks of things, the Yahoo board isn't bothered by it. They're not bothered enough to fire the guy, anyway. Thompson's still in charge at Yahoo, and a week's worth of morale-melting embarrassment and haranguing from Dan Loeb haven't been enough to change that.

FTC's Instagram Probe Could Spotlight Zuckerberg's Wheeling and Dealing
May 11, 2012

Facebook's acquisition of photo-sharing app Instagram was in the spotlight on Friday following a report that the Federal Trade Commission was investigating the deal on competition grounds. The FTC reportedly has even asked for input on the deal from rivals Google and Twitter, although it isn't clear what information was being requested.

Bing Makes Triple-Column Play With New Interface Design
May 11, 2012

Microsoft unveiled an update to Bing on Thursday that strongly leverages social networks, including a redesigned interface to provide a three-column look. Responses to queries keyed into Bing will list experts and the user's friends, who can comment on the topic in the right panel. A new feature called "Snapshot" will display useful information about a specific place or topic in the middle column.

Dish Offers New Ad-Vanishing DVR Service
May 11, 2012

Dish Network began offering a new service Thursday that lets users skip all commercials for shows broadcast on major networks when watched the day after the programming first aired. Dubbed "Auto Hop," the feature on Dish Network's digital video recorders allows users to bypass commercials on recorded HD prime-time programs from ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.

Dutch Officials Do Battle With Pirate Hordes
May 11, 2012

Today in international tech news: The Netherlands takes its blockade of The Pirate Bay a step further, ordering links and access tips be removed from the Net. Elsewhere, streaming service Ustream is attacked in an apparent attempt to cripple feeds coming out of Russia, data roaming charges in the EU get set to plunge, and China's Internet censors try to mute 70 million people.