Author: Rahsheen on Black Web 2.0

As we all know, February is Black History Month. It’s a month where we honor those who have made an impact on American culture for equal rights, those who have invented, those who have a helped others and those who have inspired everyone to be the best they can be, not only as a person of color but as a human. Last year for Black History Month, I started an online series called 28 Days Diversity where I would feature someone new everyday during the month of February for just being awesome in their own right. Even though it’s black history month, the goal for 28 Days of Diversity is to feature not just African-Americans but other minorities in the web/tech space. Also note that 28 Days of Diversity is not a popularity contest or an influencer list but a list of thought leaders in the social web sector, including entrepreneurs, bloggers, conference organizers, IT professionals and friends not ranked in any particular order who I have either met in person or followed online. Each post will include a picture, bio, two links from the selected person and this paragraph.

For 2011 I wanted to not just feature individuals but also address a topic that affects everyone. For 28 Days of Diversity 2011 each post/person will answer the question “How can we use technology to close the digital divide?” So for the next 28 days, come back to visit SocialWayne.com/tag/28daysofdiversity and 28daysofdiversity.com to see who’s on the list. For day 11, I would like to introduce to some and present to others: Mike Street.

We’ve talked about Mike before as a tastemaker and when he ran for the NYT Tech Meetup board. Check out his profile at SocialWayne.com.

You Don’t Mess with Anonymous

Anonymous, the group responsible for DDOS attacks against those who opposed WikiLeaks, recently took down the website for HBGary Federal. They also hacked CEO Aaron Barr’s Twitter account and released a screenshot that they planned to use as a placeholder for HBGary’s hacked site.

Why? Barr was recently quoted in the Financial Times as saying that he had identified two key members of Anonymous, including a co-founder in the U.S. along with senior members in Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Australia. He claimed to have picked up clues to their identities by monitoring emails, Facebook and IRC chat using fake online names.

Barr had accumulated what he claimed to be a list of Anonymous members and may have been planning to sell the information to the FBI. Once Anonymous got their hands on the information, they dismissed it as “random” and posted the list online for all to see. They also posted Barr’s personal emails, cell number, address and social security number.

via Forbes

Groupon Explains Offensive Ads

During the Super Bowl, Groupon ran a few ads that many people found highly offensive. The ads seemed to make light of certain causes and charities.

When we think about commercials that offend us, we think of those that glorify antisocial behavior – like the scores of Super Bowl ads that are built around the crass objectification of women. Unlike those ads, no one walks away from our commercials taking the causes we highlighted less seriously. Not a single person watched our ad and concluded that it’s cool to kill whales. In fact – and this is part of the reason we ran them – they have the opposite effect.

Groupon started out as a company for social good and seemed to have good intentions in this case, but the execution simply rubbed people the wrong way. After five days of being dragged through the media and attempting to defend their position, Groupon finally decided to pull the ads. Groupon still hasn’t actually apologized for the ads and expect to net over $500,000 for the charities, who did speak out on their behalf.

At the end of the day, I think this is what people refer to as “raising awareness.” Not only are people thinking about these charities and causes, but Groupon got some time in the spotlight and the negative reason why will fade quickly.

via Marketing Pilgrim, Groupon

Zuckerberg Unable to Block His Stalker

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has obtained a restraining order against one Pradeep Manukonda. Manukonda has tried to “follow, surveil and contact Mr. Zuckerberg using language threatening his personal safety.” He was visiting Zuckerberg’s offices asking for money for his family, sent Zuckerberg flowers and a letter, and was stopped by Facebook security as he tried to walk up the front steps of Zuckerberg’s home. Pradeep is definitely certified. In one Facebook message he said to Zuckerberg, “please help me, then I am ready to die for you.” He continues, “Please understand my pain.”

via TMZ

Rumor has it that Apple is developing a new iPhone. Not the next generation iPhone, but a smaller, cheaper device that might be more appealing to a more diverse customer base and that might work on multiple carriers.

One version would be cheaper and smaller than the most recent iPhone, said a person who has seen a prototype and asked not to be identified because the plans haven’t been made public. Apple also is developing technology that makes it easier to use the iPhone on multiple wireless networks, two people said.

You currently have to pay to play if you want to be an Apple customer, but this barrier of entry has many customers choosing other devices. A less costly alternative iPhone might be better able to compete against the onslaught of Android devices.

There is also talk of a dual-mode device that could work on both a CDMA network (ie. Verizon, Sprint) or a GSM network (T-Mobile, AT&T).

With Nokia and Microsoft also joining forces, this puts even more pressure on Apple to diversify their devices and go after a larger customer base. “Instead of targeting 25 percent of the global mobile- phone market, Apple would be going after 100 percent,” said Charlie Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Co. in New York.

via Bloomberg

Nokia and Microsoft have decided to join forces. They say this “broad strategic partnership” will allow them to “create a new global mobile ecosystem.” They will be able to create new products and services while also pushing existing offerings globally.

• Nokia would help drive the future of Windows Phone. Nokia would contribute its expertise on hardware design, language support, and help bring Windows Phone to a larger range of price points, market segments and geographies.
• Nokia and Microsoft would closely collaborate on joint marketing initiatives and a shared development roadmap to align on the future evolution of mobile products.=
• Bing would power Nokia’s search services across Nokia devices and services, giving customers access to Bing’s next generation search capabilities. Microsoft adCenter would provide search advertising services on Nokia’s line of devices and services.
• Nokia Maps would be a core part of Microsoft’s mapping services. For example, Maps would be integrated with Microsoft’s Bing search engine and adCenter advertising platform to form a unique local search and advertising experience
• Nokia’s extensive operator billing agreements would make it easier for consumers to purchase Nokia Windows Phone services in countries where credit-card use is low.
• Microsoft development tools would be used to create applications to run on Nokia Windows Phones, allowing developers to easily leverage the ecosystem’s global reach.
• Nokia’s content and application store would be integrated with Microsoft Marketplace for a more compelling consumer experience.

“Today, developers, operators and consumers want compelling mobile products, which include not only the device, but the software, services, applications and customer support that make a great experience. Nokia and Microsoft will combine our strengths to deliver an ecosystem with unrivalled global reach and scale. It’s now a three-horse race.” – Stephen Elop, Nokia President and CEO

“I am excited about this partnership with Nokia. Ecosystems thrive when fueled by speed, innovation and scale.The partnership announced today provides incredible scale, vast expertise in hardware and software innovation and a proven ability to execute.” — Steven A. Ballmer, Microsoft CEO

While Neither party mentioned Google or Apple during their announcement at a joint news conference in London, the evidence can’t be denied. Android just recently beat out Nokia as the top smartphone in the US and Windows Phone 7 hasn’t exactly taken the smartphone market by storm. The saying goes “if you can’t beat them, join them.” Rather than join Team Android, it looks like Nokia will dig in with Microsoft and battle it out.

And what of Symbian and Meego? The future of Meego isn’t looking so bright with head of Meego Alberto Torres stepping down from the management team yesterday.

Under the new strategy, MeeGo becomes an open-source, mobile operating system project. MeeGo will place increased emphasis on longer-term market exploration of next-generation devices, platforms and user experiences. Nokia still plans to ship a MeeGo-related product later this year.

Symbian’s future seems just slightly brighter, but I’m not sure developers are going to be too happy about it:

With Nokia’s planned move to Windows Phone as its primary smartphone platform, Symbian becomes a franchise platform, leveraging previous investments to harvest additional value. This strategy recognizes the opportunity to retain and transition the installed base of 200 million Symbian owners. Nokia expects to sell approximately 150 million more Symbian devices in the years to come.

We will just have to see if, by their powers combined, Microsoft and Nokia will be competition for Apple and Google in the mobile market. Check the full press releases below for all the details.

via Microsoft, Nokia

As we all know, February is Black History Month. It’s a month where we honor those who have made an impact on American culture for equal rights, those who have invented, those who have a helped others and those who have inspired everyone to be the best they can be, not only as a person of color but as a human. Last year for Black History Month, I started an online series called 28 Days Diversity where I would feature someone new everyday during the month of February for just being awesome in their own right. Even though it’s black history month, the goal for 28 Days of Diversity is to feature not just African-Americans but other minorities in the web/tech space. Also note that 28 Days of Diversity is not a popularity contest or an influencer list but a list of thought leaders in the social web sector, including entrepreneurs, bloggers, conference organizers, IT professionals and friends not ranked in any particular order who I have either met in person or followed online. Each post will include a picture, bio, two links from the selected person and this paragraph.For 2011 I wanted to not just feature individuals but also address a topic that affects everyone. For 28 Days of Diversity 2011 each post/person will answer the question “How can we use technology to close the digital divide?” So for the next 28 days, come back to visit SocialWayne.com/tag/28daysofdiversity and 28daysofdiversity.com to see who’s on the list. For day 10, I would like to introduce to some and present to others: Kiratiana Freelon

Check out Kiratiana at Socialwayne.com

Earvin “Magic” Johnson has finally joined Twitter. He’s sent 3 tweets so far and his account does display the Verified badge. He has amassed 30,915 followers since his first tweet about 17hrs ago and is following 35 people who mostly seem related to sports somehow. He has been using the celebrity-focuse Who Say service to tweet.

Magic was just named Chairman of Vibe Holdings LLC as part of an investment deal including Magic Johnson Enterprises and Ron Burkle’s The Yucaipa Companies. As part of that announcement, Magic was quoted as saying “We will redefine Vibe Holdings as the center of influence for the coveted urban audience.” Given that a large portion of that audience is on Twitter and other social media sites, it’s logical that Magic would need to pay a visit.

Follow @MagicJohnson and give him a warm welcome.

IE9 Beta debuted back in September and the word was it was gaining on Chrome, whose claim to fame is speed and support of the latest standards. Shortly after the beta was launched, IE9 got 2 million downloads in 2 days. Now, IE9 Release Candidate is finally available for download and the word is that it’s four times faster than Chrome 10. It also boasts the best support for the latest web standards.

IE9 embraces Microsoft’s vision of the desktop moving onto the web and the web moving onto the desktop. The browser interface stays out of the way and they say it gives you more viewable space than Chrome. ReadWriteWeb is skeptical, though:

Showed two sites, side by side, on Chrome and IE9, and showed that IE9 offered a “full toolbar’s width” more screen space for content. (It’s clear here today that Microsoft considers Chrome its big browser competitor and not Firefox. As a matter of fact, the word Firefox hasn’t been mentioned once.) One other thing? My Chrome looks cleaner than the one they just showed – I have to wonder what version that was.

I have to say that I will definitely be trying out this Release Candidate, which you can download at www.BeautyOfTheWeb.com. Chrome is currently my browser of choice, but IE9 is making big moves and I’m curious to see it in action. One thing to note is that Firefox has barely been mentioned by Microsoft as a competitor. Chrome seems to be the one to beat.

via ReadWriteWeb, MSDN

Sprint Nextel Corp. has announced their Q4 results, showing 58,000 net subscriber gains, better customer retention, and 1.1 million wireless subscriber additions.

The fourth-quarter loss narrowed to $929 million, or 31 cents a share, from $980 million, or 34 cents, a year earlier, the Overland Park, Kansas-based carrier said in a statement today. Sales rose 5.5 percent, exceeding analysts’ estimates.

Sprint was able to expand its 4G network, which has been instrumental in attracting customers and building a perception of being a stable network. Devices like the Evo 4G have also helped to maintain Sprints image as a reliable and cutting-edge network.

Sprint has held it’s position against Apple’s iPhone as it remained exclusively with AT&T, a carrier that has taken many hits on it’s reliability. With Verizon expanding its 4G LTE network and beginning to sell the iPhone 4 to the masses today, it will be interesting to see if this changes Sprint Nextel’s bottom line.

via Businessweek

At their launch event today, HP came out swinging. They’ve brought together 3 devices running HP webOS which form a basic ecosystem which could be very attractive for consumers. The devices bring a fresh look at tablets and smartphones and provide a key piece that is still missing from the competitors.

HP Veer

The absurdly tiny HP Veer carries the tag line “Never before has a smartphone done so much and felt so small.” It packs all the punch of a high-end smartphone into a device the size of a credit card with a 2.6-inch multitouch display in vibrant 18-bit color, 320×400 resolution. Don’t worry, there is a slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard so you don’t need baby hands to text, email, and post Facebook updates.

HP Pre 3

The URL still says Palm.com, but there is no Palm branding anywhere else except for the page footer. The Palm…uh…HP Pre 3 is the new look of business. A work phone that you actually don’t want to leave at work. The device is smooth and sleek, also featuring webOS, a large WVGA display, vertical slide-out keyboard, and 1.4GHz of processing power. HP Synergy gives you the ability to combine your information from all the different places they reside online. View your personal and business information side-by-side for maximum efficiency, or keep things separate for when the boss is being nosy. The Pre 3 also features dual cameras for video calls.

HP TouchPad

The webOS interface comes to the big screen with the HP TouchPad. It features a clean and spacious workspace with the activity cards, providing an easy way to visually organize what you’re doing on the screen. You can switch between cards, stack related cards, or have them stacked for you. All the basics are here: gaming, apps, wireless printing, and more.

What’s most interesting about the TouchPad is in how it leverages TouchStone technology to integrate with the Pre 3. You can share a URL by bumping the devices together. Receive text messages and answer phone calls on your TouchPad, a feature I’m sure many tablet owners would love.

I think the interaction between the TouchPad and Pre 3 is something many Apple customers have been longing for. On the other hand, how many apps does HP really have for these devices?

What do you think about webOS?

via HP

Vibe Holdings LLC has announced an investment from Magic Johnson Enterprises and Ron Burkle’s The Yucaipa Companies. Vibe Holdings is a leading multi-cultural media company featuring celebrated brands like Vibe Magazine, Vibe.com, Uptown Magazine and the iconic Soul Train TV show and library.

As part of the investment Earvin “Magic” Johnson will become Chairman of Vibe Holdings, utilizing his “unparalleled business acumen” to fuel continued growth at Vibe Holdings through the creation of advertiser-friendly platforms. Johnson is a “venerated and proven architect” of niche market development.

“The mission of Magic Johnson Enterprises is focused on building mutually beneficial relationships between corporations and the underserved urban market. Through programs designed to cultivate the existing profit potential of this burgeoning, and frequently neglected demographic, we are able to revitalize and maximize profit margins. Currently the landscape of modern media lacks a platform to serve this community on a global scale.” — Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Peter Kern, Managing Partner, InterMedia Partners, says they are “excited” to have Magic Johnson and Ron Burkle as partners and that they “have already assembled a great group of assets and brands which have strong momentum in the market; with the help of our new partners, we believe we can build a leading platform for our core audiences and for advertisers who need to reach them.”

Magic definitely has plans for the future of Vibe Holdings, saying “history and legacy are paramount in building brand affinity and we plan to integrate this ideology into the resurgence of Vibe Holdings. Through leveraging established brand equity we will create a pertinent message vehicle for major advertisers. We will redefine Vibe Holdings as the center of influence for the coveted urban audience.”

WSJ reports that “people familiar with the matter” say Apple has started production on the new iPad. The device will include a camera and a faster processor. While the display resolution will remain the same, the device is supposed to ship with a faster graphics processor.

The new iPad will be thinner and lighter than the first model, these people said. It will have at least one camera on the front of the device for features like video-conferencing, but the resolution of the display will be similar to the first iPad, these people said. It will also have more memory and a more powerful graphics processor, they said.

Even without Steve Jobs in the driver’s seat, Apple seems to be continuing to move forward. This makes sense as the iPad is critical to Apple’s bottom line and the competition isn’t slowing up at all. The iPad should debut within the next couple of months in a similar price range as the current iPad.

Piper Jaffray & Co. estimates Apple will sell 27 million iPads in 2011, and some investors expect as many as 35 million units in sales. “It’s going to be a critical growth driver,” said Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray.

On the flip side, with competition like the Samsung Galaxy Tab and HP’s upcoming WebOS tablet, research firm IHS iSuppli estimates the iPad’s market share will decline to less than 50% of the overall market by 2013.

It remains to be seen how successful the iPad will continue to be when it may not offer many of the features other tablets are packing.

via WSJ.com

Visa has agreed to acquire virtual goods monetization platform PlaySpan for $190 million in real life cash. The $190 million is the first payment, with additional payouts to follow for PlaySpan reaching certain milestones. Visa says this deal will compliment their previous acquisition of the CyberSource e-payment company for $2 billion and will extend their presence in the digital and mobile commerce.

PlaySpan has raised almost $50 million in funding since their launch four years ago. They have forged partnerships with the likes of Viacom, Disney, Facebook, Ubisoft, and Sanrio. Their flagship product UltimatePlay recently launched a mobile version which allows developers to easily incorporate virtual goods into their.

PlaySpan’s flagship product UltimatePay is a ‘Monetization as a Service’ platform for apps, games, videos and digital goods. Based on the user’s location, the payments platform draws from over 85 different payment options. Because of its vast variety of payment options (which include PayPal, pre-paid cards, and a number of credit cards), UltimatePay is designed for a global audience. Currently, PlaySpan powers virtual goods marketplaces across 1,000 video games, virtual world publishers and social networks.

eCommerce sales is big business for Visa. PlaySpan will help Visa capitalize on the growing digital goods market, which generated an estimated $25 billion in consumer spending globally in 2010 and is expected to reach $280 billion by 20143.

via TechCrunch, PlaySpan

It’s not looking good for Nokia’s sole weapon in the battle against Google and Apple. Android and iOS are the mobile operating systems to beat and Nokia’s Meego was supposed to be the challenger. The N9-00 was to be the first device running the Meego operating system, but Reuters reports the device has already been canned.

Nokia (NOK1V.HE) has ended development of its first smartphone using its new MeeGo operating system before it was ever launched, two industry sources close to the company said. A spokesman for Nokia declined to comment.

The device hasn’t even been officially launched yet. Not a good look for Nokia. Of course, it’s possible we may still see the device at Nokia’s event on Friday or at Mobile World Congress next week. Since the device was really just rumor, rumors of it being killed off don’t mean much.

So really, this is a lot like saying something that didn’t exist still doesn’t exist. – Engadget

Xperia Play (Playstation Phone) to Verizon?

In a comparison chart between the iPhone 4 and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, Wirefly has listed the device with Verizon as the carrier. Having the iPhone 4 and the Xperia Play could be a big win for “Big Red,” but Sony Ericsson hasn’t played favorites in the past so it’s unlikely they will have any type of exclusive relationship. The Xperia will be available on every single carrier in the UK starting in April, so it’s logical they would pursue a similar strategy in the US. The Xperia Play will be announced this Sunday, February 13th.

The Sprint Echo is turning a lot of heads since its launch yesterday. The device features not one, but two 3.5-inch 480 x 800 displays which unfold into a single 4.7-inch 960 x 800 surface. The device, manufactured by Kyocera, has a patented “liquid-metal” hinge which provides multiple configurations for the device. You can close it up and use it like a single-screen phone, open it up like a mini-surface, or prop it up like a baby laptop.

Kyocera has customized seven core apps to take advantage of the dual screens, including the browser, email, and messaging. There is also a dual-screen app launcher which is accessed by tapping both screens simultaneously. Unfortunately, all other apps will just take up the whole screen as they don’t support the dual-screen hardware, but Kyocera and Sprint say an SDK is coming.

Many love this device at first sight, but many think it will fail. Some have even compared it to the Microsoft Kin. Coming from Sprint, you’d expect the Echo to be 4G-capable, but it’s not. It also only has one camera, a rear-facing 5 megapixel camera with 720p video capture.

While the dual-screens seem like a killer feature, the fact that developers will need to re-write their applications to support it is less than optimal. It also opens the door for more fragmentation. We will have to see how the Echo does once it’s launched later this year.

via engadget

Today, in a conference call with reporters, Keith Olbermann announced he will be hosting a one-hour primetime show on Current TV, the Emmy Award-winning television and online network founded in 2005 by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt.

Olbermann will also step in as “chief news officer” for Current. Beginning in late spring, Olbermann says the new show will be “an improved and we hope amplified and stronger version of the show that I just did at my previous network.”

After recently leaving MSNBC, rumors circulated as to where Olbermann would end up. Chairman of Current TV Al Gore said he is “extremely honored and delighted” to have Olbermann at Current and he is a “great fit with Current in every way.”

When asked if Olbermann would be able to donate to political candidates in his position at Current, a practice with got him in hot water with his previous employer, Gore said “”The answer is yes. We believe at Current that every citizen has freedom of speech, and that freedom of speech includes the ability to donate to candidates of your choice.”

via Huffington Post, Current TV