Research confirms that Facebook, Twitter and Google are spying on users

big brother (Photo credit: Vince_Lamb)

Social networks: can robots violate user privacy?

ECM Plus +++ Recent news in the international media has revealed numerous Internet privacy concerns that definitely deserve attention and further investigation, which is why Geneva-based High-Tech Bridge  decided to conduct a simple technical experiment to verify how the 50 largest social networks, web services and free emails systems respect – or indeed abuse – the privacy of their users.

According to High-Tech Bridge, the experiment and its results can be reproduced by anyone, as we tried to be as neutral and objective as possible.

Renewal of smartphone jailbreaking and video remixing rights

Jailbreaking now ok for ‘smart’ phones

Copyright Office Announces Exemptions to Mitigate DMCA Harms

San Francisco – The Electronic Frontier Foundation has won renewal of critical exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in a new ruling, including the upholding of jailbreaking rights for smartphones – and new and expanded legal protections for video remixing.

Flickr Killer? FSF backs MediaGoblin for free media sharing platform

FSF backing MediaGoblin and StatusNet

FSF rallies support for GNU MediaGoblin to make media publishing free “as in freedom”

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus /London/ +++ The Free Software Foundation is backing the GNU MediaGoblin project’s fundraiser at http://mediagoblin.org/pages/campaign.html – a community-developed free – as in freedom – software that enables users to share their experiences through photos, videos, and audio in a decentralised way.

MediaGoblin ‘sidesteps’ current media-publishing gatekeepers, FSF said.

Twitter criticism of public figures protected by First Amendment

First Amendment Rally in Union Square. Image: Luke Redmond via Flickr

Judge: Prosecution of online critic under anti-stalking law is “unconstitutional”

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ A federal district court judge in Maryland today blocked the government’s use of a federal anti-stalking law to prosecute a man for posting insults and criticism of a public figure to Twitter, ruling that “the First Amendment protects speech even when the subject or manner of expression is uncomfortable and challenges conventional religious beliefs, political attitudes or standards of good taste.” 

Christmas cracker for content apps at Downloadbuyer.com

Image by NilmaBoston

Magix, Content Watch and other software discounts at online software emporium

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ Online software superstore DownloadBuyer is offering 50 percent discounts on its wide range of software products throughout December 2011.

According to the company, the range with the discounts includes apps from mediAvatar, Xilisoft, Wondershare, Magix, O&O, eJay, Innoheim, MacPhun, ABBYY, UpdateStar, Emsisoft, Serif, Abylonsoft, BitDefender and Content Watch.

Content Warning: Blogspot blog content goes viral

Image by Brooklyn Museum via Flickr

According to the blog host company: “The blog that you are about to view may contain content only suitable for adults. In general, Google does not review nor do we endorse the content of this or any blog. For more information about our content policies, please visit the Blogger Terms of Service.”

The content can be read here

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Retail giant employee campaign to save American tradition goes viral

Target in the crosshairs as social media backlash grows

Target market: Bid to save Thanksgiving from commercialization

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ A petition on Change.org to rescue Thanksgiving from retailers’ proposed ‘Black Thursday’ has just surged past 75,000 signatures in under 24 hours.

More than 75,000 people from every state have joined an explosive campaign on Change.org in the past day alone calling on popular retailer Target to reverse its decision to open late Thanksgiving night for pre-Black Friday shopping and instead allow workers to spend the holiday with family.

Free video content downloader app hits the streets

Get the picture: Users' YouTube vids and others now grab-able with new app.

Version 1.20 can download video files from online service for free

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ Click-2U has just released YouTube Downloader, afree software app that enables users to download videos from YouTube, Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Metacafe, GodTube, Veoh, Vevo, Vimeo and others and convert them to other video formats.

Image bank proffers freebie pix content for creatives

Image: For Inspiration Only via Flickr

Kiosked image bank to monetize online content

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ In-content online ad platform provider Kiosked has launched a ‘free’ Image Bank that the company said can enable online publishers and creatives to earn on the acquisitive ‘impulses’ their content may engender.

According to the company, the free app can can be freely downloaded and creators get paid for their images. Apparently, the Kiosked Image Bank is free to use without infringing any copyrights, the company said.

Canuck citzens’ journalism CMS goes mobile

Citizen's journalism on the move

Filemobile launches citizen journalism functionality into Media Factory

BY PAUL QUIGLEY

ECM Plus +++ Canadian software vendor Filemobile has just debuted a series of producer-friendly features to its user-generated content management platform Media Factory 3.0.

According to Filemobile, the new citizen journalism features are designed to streamline workflow, navigation and management. The new enhancements offer integration with automated broadcast systems, enabling upload and broadcast of user-generated content from any digital format.

Power to the people: Firm urges delegation of content creation via WCM

Web content management choices

Today’s web content management systems must encourage and empower site owners to delegate content creation and management responsibilities

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ For years, the creation and management of web content fell under the auspices of one or two individuals within an organization. They may have been marketing managers, IT managers, or the once-ubiquitous “webmasters”. The advent of web content management systems (WCMS) changed all of that years ago, but many companies and organizations still rely on a disproportionately small number of staff to keep their website content moving.

Believe in Godin: Up close and personal with a guru

Marketing ‘guru’ Seth Godin gets personal over success

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ Seth Godin, author of Purple Cow, the marketing book of the decade, has revealed in a Grant Thornton publication just what makes him tick – both in business and in private life, the moments that he said changed his life forever.

BRITISH RIOTS: Ban the anti-social networks before it happens again

Riots planned via 'social' networks

BY ROBERT NEWKET

ECM Plus +++ The shocking news that Twitter, Facebook and BlackBerry company Research In Motion have all indicated that they will be resisting attempts to shut them down in future riots – as conduits of violence, crime and riot planning – is a sad day for British social justice.

The many businesses and homes targeted by the rioters should act as a testament to why these disgusting ‘social’ media conduits are past their sell-by-date, not fit for purpose, abused and should now be shut down completetely before they can be allowed to do any more damage.

Facebook finished: Fad fading as developed market numbers begin descent

All over bar the tweeting? Image: kevindean

Usage already falling in Britain and United States as privacy fears weigh

By ROBBIE NEWKET

ECM Plus +++ Official figures show that new subscribers to Facebook are already on the decline in Britain, the USA, Russia, Norway and other developed nations with fears over privacy and concerns over business ethics taking their toll.

News Photo Caption Competition

In this week’s Caption Competition, who would have thoughi it.

So the reader with the most amusing caption to the above photo will win a Tech Air laptop case worth over £100!

Send entries to us at newsdesk(at)ecmplus(dot)eu by the end of the month,

The lucky winner with the most amusing caption will be announced shortly after the end of May.

Good luck!

Stream of concert-ness? Creatives go live with streaming media

Streaming at the Roundhouse: What goes around comes around

Underground reaches the internet masses

By PAUL QUIGLEY

ECM Plus +++ Creative directors and musicians are collaborating live to an online stadium-sized audience as digital streaming experts StreamUK have are joining forces with the Camden Roundhouse for directors and musicians to offer an internet audience the size of Wembley Stadium. 

Polycom’s cloud-based video media content strikes Accordent

Lights, sound, camera, action...

Polycom’s new cloud-based media services for video content hosted on Azure platform

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ Polycom has launched its new Accordent Media Services platform powered by Azure, a new cloud service for searchable content for all video assets.

According to Polycom, Accordent Media Services organisations by managing their growing libraries of multi-source, multi-format video assets without having to add any more extensive IT resources or having to make any more major capital expenditures on special networking or storage systems.

YouTube legal action could threaten user-generated content

Libraries join with EFF in amicus brief over UGC case. Image: Timothy Greig

Lawsuit against YouTube threatens global growth of political speech – legal attack on online video site could throttle innovation with fears of litigation – EFF

ECM Plus +++ The Electronic Frontier Foundation and a coalition of advocacy groups have asked a federal appeals court to reject attempts to thwart federal copyright law and saddle online communities with new litigation fears in the appeal of Viacom v. YouTube.

NAB SHOW: Silver screen moguls mashed by fleet foxes of user generated content

Digital rebels mashing up content in low-budget movie-making

NAB Show to host Super Session on next-generation film-making

BY PAUL QUIGLEY

ECM Plus +++ NAB 2011 will this year be featuring a new theme of ‘Digital Rebels: The New Generation of Filmmakers and Storytellers’, a Super Session looking at the latest innovations in what they call ‘daring film productions’ and digital techniques they use.

Moderated by Adobe’s senior VP and GM John Loiacono, the session will take place on Tuesday, April 12 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas.