Category: Internet
Bing gets more visitors than Twitter
Figures released show that Microsoft’s ‘knowledge engine’, Bing, got more unique visitors than Twitter, Digg and CNN in June. It also scored more visitors than Embroidery Online, Taxidermy.net and Non-League Daily but I suppose that’s not as significant.
The site was visited by nearly 50 million users – 49,571,922 to be precise. Twitter got 22,997,148 visitors in the same period, CNN got 28,645,202 and Digg got 38,961,981.
Microsoft reportedly spent £61million on the launch of Bing. So it’s money well spent then? Well, maybe, but Bing isn’t really designed to rival Twitter, Digg or CNN is it? It’s meant to rival Google. Google got 145,948,025 unique users in June, so it’s still got a way to go then.
It’s even still trailing Microsoft’s other search engine, Live, which got 79,405,701 visitors. This was a 21% drop from May though, indicating that users are ditching Live in favour of Bing.
Are you guys using Bing? If so, what do you think? I’ve only really had a quick look – I quite liked the video searching with playback available via the thumbnails. Although I’m told you could do this with Live anyway.
I’m just not getting the whole Bing name either. The Bing will always be Silv’s club in The Sopranos to me. Fuget about it.
(via Revolut!on & Compete)
The Microsoft rumour-mill goes into overdrive
Following Google’s Chrome OS announcement yesterday, there is much speculation on the web today that Microsoft is going to make a big announcement of their own at their conference on Monday.
The rumours began after notorious tech-blogger Robert Scoble claimed via FriendFeed to have some information regarding a possible announcement to his pal Diego. “Diego, no, it’s one of Microsoft’s primary businesses,” he wrote. “Did you know Microsoft has 14 billion dollar businesses?”
Reports are now suggesting the Microsoft may be announcing a new version of Office that not only syncs via the cloud, but will work in the cloud without the need for any actual software to be installed.
If true, this would be a major attack on Google Docs. It’s interesting to note that the domain office.com has recently been sold and is currently unoccupied. I wonder…..
Be sure to visit Tech Digest on Monday where we’ll be bringing you any important news from the Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans.
(via TechCrunch)
BT on course with its super-fast broadband project
BT has announced that an additional 69 towns will be receiving their super-fast fibre-based broadband by this time next year – meaning the service will be available to 1.5 million homes and businesses.
BT’s Steve Robertson said: “We had aimed to get fibre to half a million homes by next March but we’re now being far more ambitious. We’ve received a tremendous response to date and so we’re keen to get on with the job.”
Their overall goal of the project, which is costing the telecommunication giant £1.5billion, is to have 10 million homes covered by 2012 – 40% of the country.
BT will be offering access to ISPs on an open, wholesale basis thereby supporting a competitive market. The first areas to have access to the network went live earlier this week. Trials are taking place in Muswell Hill, London and Whitchurch, South Wales and involve 16 different ISPs.
The plan is great news for internet users and makes a bit of a mockery of the plan set out in the Digital Britain report to ensure that the country is covered by a broadband network capable of 2Mbps. The super-fast network being developed by BT should be capable of speeds of 40Mbps – 100Mbps. No wonder MPs are to open an inquiry into whether the 2Mbps plan is ambitious enough. Clearly it isn’t.
(via BT & Computing.co.uk)
Spammers using shortened URLs to spread their muck
Message Labs – part of internet security guru Symantec – is warning that shortened URLs are becoming an issue in terms of spam.
This graph shows how the inclusion of shortened URLs in spam email has increased from practically nothing a to almost 2% in just a few days:
Shortened URLs are perfect for spammers because not only do they mask dodgy sounding domain names that users would usually be wary of, they also help spam mail bypass anti-spam programmes. Services such as tinyurl are also free and require no registration.
Matt Sergeant from Message Labs, said: “The entire trust model of clicking on the URL is completely broken,” he said. He also said it was impossible to trust URLs on Twitter as many people retweet links, often without even clicking on them first themselves.
(via NYTimes)
Mobile marketing company want job applications via text
A Welsh mobile marketing company has advertised a job via Twitter for which it wants interested parties to apply via a single text message. That’s just 160 characters.
The job was advertised by Teimlo’s chief executive Phil Terrett like so:
Text JOB + y it should b u to 82088. 160 characters 2 make an impression! Cost 1 std rate txt, UK only. C teimlo.com
If you are comfortable with working for a company that advertises using text speak then you can reply with a standard text that should explain how you are “qualified, sassy, good with words, dynamite at events, Adobe compatible, have working knowledge of mobile and social media and are a determined multi-tasker and networker”
I’d personally go with: I’m qualified, sassy, brilliant at events, Adobe compatible, have working knowledge of mobile and social media and I am a determined multi-tasker and networker.
What I did was basically copy their requirements word for word. I changed “dynamite” for brilliant because I thought dynamite sounded a bit Alan Partridge-esque and I eliminated “good with words” because there wasn’t space. Plus, by changing “dynamite” I had already demonstrated that I was good with words.
Should applicants be successful, they will be invited to an interview where, hopefully, normal language will be used. If it isn’t, well, ROFLMAO.
(via ITPro)
Twitter enters Collins English Dictionary
The word Twitter is to appear in the forthcoming Collins English Dictionary as both a verb and a noun:
Twitter – verb: to write short messages on the Twitter website.
Twitter – noun: a website where people can post short messages about their current activities.
The word Twitterati, which refers to the elite users of Twitter, such as Stephen Fry and Ashton Kutcher who attract a large following, will also be entered as will Twitterverse which defines the whole Twitter phenomenon.
Elaine Higgleton, Collins editorial director, said: “Hardly a day goes by when you don’t see some Twitter-related article. Hence I find it entirely unsurprising that this year we have not one Twitter-related entry in the dictionary, but three.”
Every year we see these sorts of stories where the latest fad phrases are entered into the dictionary and every year I get a bit annoyed. Yogalates was added last year. Yogalates. sigh.
I suppose Twitter is a valid entry – but Twitterati and Twitterverse? What’s the point?
(via The Telegraph)
Google Maps adds real estate option
Google has added real estate search to Google Maps in Australia and New Zealand. Properties for sale or rent can be viewed on the existing maps with additional photos and details available with a click of the mouse.
Private users’ listings are added via sites such as homehound and myhome and there are also estate-agent based listings available as well.
House-hunters input the area they are interested in and advance options such as type of properties, price range, floor area range, number of bedrooms, bathrooms and parking spaces.
The system was developed by workers at Google’s Sydney office and it is expected that the service will be expanded to the US first and then the rest of the globe.
With many individuals already using Google Map’s streetview to look around areas and particular streets that they are interested in, the move to include real-estate listings is a logical one.
(via The Age)
BT to ditch Phorm after public outcry
BT has dropped plans to continue with the hugely unpopular Phorm Webwise targeted advertising software.
The company, who has in the past been guilty of trialling the software without customers even knowing, has decided to drop out – apparently due to their commitment of investing £1.5bn into a super-fast broadband network for 10 million homes by 2012. It is reported that privately, however, bosses have become worried about the backlash against Phorm.
Phorm are playing down the damage caused by BT’s withdrawal – stating that there is still plenty of interest in their Webwise software. The BT decision comes on the back of a series of other knocks for Phorm though – Amazon, The Guardian, The FT and Wikipedia has all stated they won’t be using Phorm and the BBC also has also stated they are not currently interested.
(via The Guardian)
Microsoft withdraws controversial vomit advert
Microsoft has pulled an online advert from its dedicated Internet Explorer 8 website, Browser for the Better, after it sparked complaints from some viewers.
In the advert a wife looks on her husband’s laptop and vomits after seeing his browsing history. By the looks of it she had just finished off a bowl of custard. The husband then slips on her vomit whilst Dean Cain – yep, Superman Dean Cain – enters and explains how the whole situation could have been avoided with IE8’s private browsing feature.
Microsoft said the ad was supposed to be “tongue-in-cheek”. They said: “While much of the feedback to this particular piece of creative was positive, some of our customers found it offensive, so we have removed it.”
You can, unsurprisingly, still watch the advert on YouTube. Enjoy:
(via Brand Republic)
Spotify to trial audio books service
Spotify is offering Chris Anderson’s new book Free: The Future of a Radical Price
, narrated by the author himself, free to all UK users.
It’s the first time Spotify has made an audio book available although they’re keen to stress that it’s only a trial – for the time being at least. “We’re going to trial it, see what people think and who knows, maybe this is the start of something new for us…” said Andres Sehr of Spotify.
Chris Anderson, the author of the hugely successful The Long Tail and current editor-in-chief of Wired is the perfect guinea-pig for the experiment. He is hugely influential in terms of the internet and web-culture and Free should appeal to a large number of Spotify users.
It’s quite a coup for Spotify as well. Free only been available for a few days in hard-copy and is sure to be a best-seller. It tells the story of new world where the old economic certainties are being undermined by a growing flood of free goods as the result of new technologies, such as the internet.
If you did want to buy Free in its hard-copy format, it’s available on Amazon for a bargain £8.54. The Long Tail is available in paperback for £6.69.
(via Spotify)
