Posts tagged starting
Many Free Android Apps Are Starting To Look A Lot Like Malware
Apr 5th
The money-go-round between app developers and ad networks is starting to blur the line between many free Android apps and malware. While these legitimate apps aren’t stealing passwords, they’re still riding roughshod over user privacy by gratuitously sucking up your contact and location information — or worse.
What These Bad Apps Glom Onto
Between last September and March, security vendor Bitdefender analyzed 130,000 popular Android apps on Google Play and found that roughly 13% collected your phone number without explicit notification, 12% stored your location data and 8% sucked up your email address. Included in those numbers are apps that siphoned off one or more of the three.
Many apps don’t stop there. Other data they glom onto includes your browsing activity, your contact list, the unique identification number of your device and even your call registry.
These apps took all that information legally. Android apps display their privacy policies in seeking permission to gather personal data, and many developers bank on the fact that most people will just click through to the app.
(See also: Hey! iOS Apps Play Faster And Looser With Your Data Than Android)
All that data gathering typically starts when an app developer download an ad framework provided by more than 400 companies listed on the Ad Network Directory. Such frameworks makes it easy for developers to display ads in the app, and thus to get paid every time someone clicks on them.
Since free apps only make money for developers from such clicks (and, it turns out, the distribution of associated user data), very few pay attention to exactly what kind of information ad frameworks are gathering.
“Because they copy-paste the code, they don’t really debug it; they don’t really look through it and see what data it collects,” Bitdefender researcher Liviu Arsene told me. “I bet they don’t even care.”
And It Doesn’t Stop There
App privacy policies often stake out even more aggressive data-collection goals, presumably to pave the way for future updates to vacuum up more info and further erode user privacy.
Take, for instance, Airpush, the second-largest ad network for Android developers with 40,000 apps. Its privacy policy reads, in part:
[I]n accordance with the permissions you have granted, we may collect your device ID, device make and model, device IP address, mobile web browser type and version, mobile carrier, real-time location information, email address, phone number and a list of the mobile applications on your device.
The policy goes on to explain that Airpush might supply that information to third-party advertisers who are part of its ad platform and third-party vendors, consultants and other service providers. Because the data is available to so many organizations, it’s virtually impossible to know who is using your personal data, and how, once it leaves the device.
Obviously, the possibilities for abuse here are legion. Suppose one of those third-party organizations is acquired by an outfit that is, shall we say, less reputable. Or that a third party company’s computers are hacked, spilling your data into the hands of cybercriminals.
The Feds Agree: It’s A Huge Problem
Federal regulators acknowledge that a huge problem exists. “Mobile technology provides unique privacy challenges,” Jon Leibowitz, departing chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, said in February, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. “Some would say it’s a sort of Wild West.”
The FTC wants the mobile industry to bolster privacy controls by allowing phone users to opt out of being tracked by ad networks. The commission also wants apps to prominently display the kind of data they’re collecting, rather than burying it in fine print. Congress is also considering proposals to tighten privacy protections on mobile devices, though it’s hard to say how such measures will fare given firm opposition from industry.
In the meantime, here’s some free (!!) advice: Scrutinize your free mobile apps as if they’re malware ready to wreak havoc on your personal information.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
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Apple Is Starting To Look A Little Nervous About Samsung
Mar 14th
Today is the big launch of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone — and Apple has clearly taken notice. Earlier this week, Apple released two new iPhone commercials, which were well-crafted if boring. It is unlikely the timing of these new ads was coincidental.
Yesterday, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller gave a rare interview to the Wall Street Journal. Schiller was clearly on the attack.
Schiller insisted that surveys reveal that iPhone users are more “satisfied” with their device than Android users. Schiller mentioned that Android is plagued by fragmentation and that Android users are often running outdated versions of the operating system.
Schiller wasn’t finished:
Android is often given as a free replacement for a feature phone and the experience isn’t as good as an iPhone.
While Apple’s advertising focuses almost exclusively on its own product, Schiller spent much of his time with the Wall Street Journal knocking Android.
When you take an Android device out of the box, you have to sign up to nine accounts with different vendors to get the experience iOS comes with. They don’t work seamlessly together.
While Schiller mostly talked Android, Samsung was clearly on his mind. For example, he took a swipe at Samsung and its larger-sized Galaxy displays, suggesting that the bigger screen is necessary to mask a larger battery with which to compete with the iPhone 5′s battery life.
Schiller even disputed the recent smartphone market share numbers, touted the claim that Android users are more likely to switch to iPhone, and stated:
I’m not sure that the estimates and the modeling accurately gives an accurate picture of it all.
There is good reason for Schiller to be concerned, at least with Samsung, if not Android. According to the most recent comScore figures, Apple has a 38% share of the US smartphone market. Samsung is second, with 21%. But according to mobile analyst, Tomi Ahonen, Samsung is the clear global smartphone winner — having sold 215 million devices in 2012, compared to Apple’s 136 million.
The disparity could grow throughout the year. Samsung has recently stated that its flagship Galaxy line has sold over 100 million units since its May 2010 launch and that it expects to sell over 300 million smartphones in 2013.
Another point of concern for Apple: Samsung has been outspending Apple on advertising. Samsung spent $401 million just in the U.S. last year to promote its smartphones. Apple spent $333 million. Just as important, Samsung’s advertising has been more impactful. As ReadWrite noted this week, Samsung’s commercials “are the kinds of ads that strike a chord.”
Apple remains the leader, however, where it may matter most: profits. As we noted last week, “Samsung is winning every way but one” against Apple. That one way, of course, is profits. Nonetheless, Apple clearly is watching Samsung carefully — and isn’t above having the likes of Schiller toss a brushback pitch from time to time.
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SEOservices.uk.com Adds New SEO Starting Guide to Information Website – SBWire (press release)
Mar 11th
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SEOservices.uk.com Adds New SEO Starting Guide to Information Website
SBWire (press release) London, UK — (SBWIRE) — 03/11/2013 — SEOservices.uk.com is pleased to announce the addition of a free SEO Starting Guide to their information website to give new webmasters a vital edge in search engine ranking improvements. SEO Services provides … |
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The Link Shrink Is In: Is Starting Over The Best Option?
Feb 26th
We just came upon the two year anniversary of what came to be known as the Google Panda Update. Between then and now, a seismic shift has seemingly taken place in the link building and SEO industry. Many of you reading this know the gory details, but if you don’t, I recommend reading Vanessa…
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
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Pebble Smartwatch Shipping To 500 Kickstarter Backers, Starting Today
Jan 23rd
The Pebble smartwatch will officially begun shipping today, at long last. After a record-shattering Kickstarter campaign, the tidal wave of demand for the device led to delays and production woes. Now, after announcing a hard shipping date at CES 2013 earlier this month, Pebble intends to deliver its little wonder timepiece.
Unfortunately, there are a few caveats.
According to a post on its blog, Pebble Technology admits to a few enduring “kinks and issues”. First, it aims to manufacture 2,400 Pebbles per day, but in the mean time the ol’ Pebble factory will be cranking out somewhere between 800 and 1,000 units.
The blog post also notes that due to some quirks in its manufacturing process, the first production run will be the black version of the Pebble (there’s also a cherry red, arctic white and orange “voter’s choice” version). And while the Pebble app hasn’t passed go in Apple’s App Store yet, the Android app will be live on January 24. The app will be able to push software updates and nifty stuff like alternate digital watch faces to the device.
All told, fewer than 500 Pebbles will ship out today. It’s a drop in the bucket for the gadget’s 68,929 Kickstarter backers – but at least we’ll be able to see if this whole smartwatch thing has legs.
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4 Ways To Determine Your Your Starting Bids
Jan 14th
While ad testing, proper account setup and conversion tracking are necessary for a successful account, you can’t get any data without a competitive bid. If your bid is too low, then your ad never shows. If your bids are too high, then you can quickly lose a lot of money; and if you are new [...]
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
View full post on Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Google Starting to Bring Travel Assets Together
Dec 19th
Following its acquisition of travel software and data provider ITA Google’s flight and hotel search products have offered novel elements and isolated useful features, but have mostly failed to live up to the promise of “innovation” that Google used as justification for the…
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
View full post on Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Mark Cuban: Facebook Is Driving Away Brands – Starting With Mine
Nov 13th
Tech billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he is fed up with Facebook and will take his business elsewhere. He’s sick of getting hit with huge fees to send messages to his team’s fans and followers.
Two weeks ago Cuban tweeted out a screen grab of an offer he’d received from Facebook. The social network wanted to charge him $3,000 to reach 1 million people. Along with the screen grab, Cuban wrote, “FB is blowing it? This is the first step. The Mavs are considering moving to Tumblr or to new MySpace as primary site.”
Now Cuban tells me he’s doing more than considering a move – he’s doing it. And not just with the Mavs but with the 70 or so companies in which he has invested.
“We are moving far more aggressively into Twitter and reducing any and all emphasis on Facebook,” Cuban says, via email. “We won’t abandon Facebook, we will still use it, but our priority is to add followers that our brands can reach on non-Facebook platforms first.”
Cuban and other corporate Facebook members are howling because new rules on the social network make it harder for brands to reach people without spending big money on sponsored posts.
That’s because in September Facebook changed the algorithm that controls which messages get through to which members. The result is that some brands a sharp dropoff in the reach of their posts – as much as 50% in some cases.
It’s Not A Shakedown – We’re Trying To Fight Spam
Facebook insists it isn’t choking off reach as a way to push brands to spend more on sponsored posts. Facebook uses an algorithm called EdgeRank to determine which people see which posts. EdgeRank uses a lot of factors, including how often your friends log in to Facebook and what settings they choose on their news feeds, the company says.
Facebook constantly tinkers with EdgeRank to make it more effective, says product manager Will Cathcart. The algorithm change in September was a bigger change than usual, Cathcart says, but its goal was simply to cut down on spam in people’s news feed.
Still, Facebook seems more determined than ever to crank up its revenue, especially as its stock price has collapsed more than 50% since its initial public offering earlier this year.
Cuban says the company’s hunger for revenue is backfiring. In an email conversation, excerpted below, he lays out his case for moving away from Facebook:
Why We’re Looking Elsewhere
“It’s not feasible yet, but we have no choice but to continuously evaluate alternatives. We have already pushed more to Twitter. The new Myspace looks promising. And Instagram and Tumbler and others are much more open and are getting more of our attention.
“The big negative for Facebook is that we will no longer push for likes or subscribers because we can’t reach them all. Why would we invest in extending our Facebook audience size if we have to pay to reach them? That’s crazy.
“In many respects it has already blown up on Facebook. Their search for revenue has severely devalued every brand’s following and completely changed the economics of consumer interaction.”
Brands Have Made A Bad Investment
“Brands have invested in getting consumers to like their Facebook page with the presumption that every like is created equal, that the brand can reach the user easily. That is not the case.
“I realize that Facebook has never given 100% user coverage to followers of a brand. However it now appears that to extend beyond minimal reach is going to cost brands more money.
“I think this is a reflection of Facebook searching for more revenue since going public and the more it costs to reach followers on Facebook the lower the value to the brand of being on Facebook.”
I Wouldn’t Buy Facebook Stock
“I haven’t bought [at the current price] and I wouldn’t buy here. I think they have to determine what their business is right now and how they will make money at it. I don’t believe they are clear about either.”
Using Myspace Is Not As Crazy As You Think
“Actually, Myspace is going through a reformatting that looks pretty good. There is a greater than zero chance that it could gather quite a bit of momentum.
“In addition to Myspace, Twitter and Tumblr are both ready, willing and able to support brand activation without holding followers hostage for additional revenue. And in the ironic department, Instagram has the same friction-free reach to followers that Twitter and Tumblr have but Facebook doesn’t.”
Why Brands Feel Betrayed
“Facebook has never allowed 100% reach. I think the disconnect is that not everyone realized that they didnt allow 100% reach. I bet if you asked anyone who has subscribers if their posts reached 100% of their subscribers, they would say yes unless they have seen the dollar box for promoted posts show up.
“I think the same applies to brands as well. Remember most brands don’t have social media departments. They rely on common sense. If someone likes your brand, it seems like common sense to me that you can expect your posts to reach 100% of those that like your brand. Doesn’t it to you?”
Facebook Has A Fundamental Business Model Problem
“And one more point. I get that they want to reduce the speed at which news scrolls off of people’s Facebook pages. The more stuff, the less you see; the less you see, the less you engage. All good points by Facebook.
“But it’s a reflection of overall design and strategy weakness. Again, why would a brand invest in getting likes they can’t reach without paying a premium?”
I’d Rather Pay An Upfront Fee
“The right price is to charge an upfront fee for brands. In the current system there is complete uncertainty on the cost. And even worse, at least for our size brands, you have to deal with the pricing for each posting, which is a time waster.
“I’m just suggesting that a single upfront fee or a monthly fee where there is certainty of cost would allow brands to focus on bringing in consumers to like the brands knowing that they can always reach everyone that likes them. I don’t know what that number should be.
“And let me add, I’m not trying to come off as some Facebook expert. I’m not. I have a bunch of little companies via SharkTank and other investments that use Facebook in the normal course of business. They shouldn’t have go to great lengths to figure out the nuances of Facebook audience reach. That complexity, IMHO, will come back to haunt Facebook.”
Image courtesy of Reuters.
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Wicked IM, SEO Service Group’s Latest Client, Offers Discounts for Starting an … – Midland Daily News
Nov 1st
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Wicked IM, SEO Service Group's Latest Client, Offers Discounts for Starting an …
Midland Daily News SEO Service Group's client explains in great detail what is needed to start a business online and how to receive steep hosting discounts when doing so. While buying a domain name is a simple task, finding a reliable hosting provider is the backbone of … |
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Apple Announces iPad mini Starting At $329, Dives Headlong Into Small-Tablet Market
Oct 23rd
Today at an event held in San Jose’s California Theater, Apple gave an audience of rabid tech news hounds what we’ve all been waiting for: the iPad mini. Long rumored, the iPad mini will join its big brother, the 9.7″ entity still somewhat amibiguously known as the new iPad, released earlier this year.
The new iPad mini weighs .68 lb. and is a sliver-thin 7.2mm with a 7.9″ screen. It features a 1024 x 768 resolution – same as the iPad 2. That means iPad apps are already optimized for the new screen size. The device comes in “black and slate” and “white and silver” models (what we like to think is a choice between good and evil). The iPad mini hums along on the same A5 processor that debuted with the iPad 2, with a FaceTime 1.2MP front-facing camera and a 5MP f/2.4 camera in the back.
The iPad mini equipped for Wi-Fi only will start at $329 for 16GB of storage, and from there it’s $429 for 32GB and $529 for 64GB. If you want a little more connectivity on your tiny iPad, you’ll be shelling out at least $459 for a 16GB 3G version, and $559 and $659 for 32GB and 64GB, respectively. That compares with 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fires and Google Nexus 7s starting at less than $200.
The new iPad mini boasts a metal case and taller, wider screen than its competitors, in a thinner, lighter package. But prior to the announcement, the most relevant speculation revolved around Apple’s smaller tablet’s price point – increasingly the most relevant detail as companies like Amazon and Google take any measures necessary to keep pricing down on the new wave of smaller, more affordable slates. And Apple was not willing or able to match those prices – positioning itself as Mercedes to Google/Amazon’s Toyota/Honda.
In spite of Steve Jobs’s best wishes, Apple will now be competing in the tablet market with a one-handed iPad – but it’s doing so under duress. With products like the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 aggressively carving out the 7-inch tablet space at much lower prices, Apple is actually playing catch up for once.
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