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Monday, April 18, 2011

Apple files suit against Samsung (AP) : Technet

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Apple files suit against Samsung (AP) : Technet

Apple files suit against Samsung (AP)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 05:57 PM PDT

– Mon Apr 18, 8:57 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO – Apple Inc. has sued Samsung Electronics Co., saying the South Korean company's Galaxy line of smartphones and tablet computers copy Apple's popular iPad and iPhone.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Apple alleges the product design, user interface and packaging of the Galaxy products "slavishly copy" Apple.

"When a Samsung Galaxy phone is used in public, there can be little doubt that it would be viewed as an Apple product based upon the design alone," Apple says in its lawsuit, which was filed Friday.

Cupertino-based Apple is seeking an order barring Samsung from infringing on a variety of its patents and trademarks, as well as unspecified damages.

A Samsung spokesman said the company's products are the result of its own research and development. He says Samsung plans to defend itself against Apple's lawsuit.

Apple first released the iPhone in 2007, and has since upgraded the device several times. The company unveiled the iPad last year, and began selling the iPad 2 in March. The company had sold over 108 million iPhones and 19 million iPads, as well as more than 60 million of the iPod Touch, which is a digital music player that looks similar to the iPhone but can only access the Internet over Wi-Fi and cannot make cellular calls.

Samsung began selling the Galaxy smartphones and Galaxy Tab tablet computer in the U.S. last year, all of which run on Google's Android operating software. Samsung is the world's largest manufacturer of flat screen televisions, liquid crystal displays and computer memory chips. Its memory chips are used in the iPad.

"Samsung will respond actively to this legal action taken against us through appropriate legal measures to protect our intellectual property," Samsung spokesman Kim Titus said.

The lawsuit is the latest in a long string of patent disputes among phone makers trying to stake a claim on a slice of the rapidly growing smart phone market. Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp., Nokia Corp. and HTC Corp. and others have taken legal action to protect intellectual property in the last few years.

Yahoo plans to keep search records for 18 months (AP)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 08:06 PM PDT

By JOELLE TESSLER, AP Technology Writer Joelle Tessler, Ap Technology Writer – 1 hr 40 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Yahoo plans to extend the amount of time it retains records on what its users search for online, less than two and a half years after breaking from the other big Internet search engines and promising to delete such data promptly.

The new policy brings the company in line with Google Inc., which dominates the industry and failed to follow Yahoo Inc.'s lead when it shortened the amount of time that it keeps online search records to 90 days in most cases.

Beginning this summer, after notifying customers, Yahoo will join Google in keeping search logs for 18 months.

Yahoo said it will consider keeping other types of information about its users for longer durations, too.

The company's announcement Friday comes amid mounting unease about the vast amounts of personal information that companies are scooping up online — including Internet search records, Web surfing habits, pages views and ad clicks. That information is used to personalize Web content and target online advertising.

But privacy watchdogs fear that as companies store this information, they are compiling vast databases that could become easy targets for government surveillance, identity theft and online scams — as well as marketing.

Government officials are starting to take note. The Commerce Department has called for a "privacy bill of rights" for Internet users, and the Federal Trade Commission has proposed a "Do Not Track" tool to let consumers stop or restrict advertisers from studying their online behavior to target ads. Several lawmakers have also introduced bills to set ground rules for companies that collect consumer data online.

In late 2008, Yahoo became the first major Internet search engine to commit to "anonymizing" a wide range of user data — including search logs — after 90 days in most cases. Microsoft Corp., which powers Yahoo's search results under a partnership reached last year, followed in early 2010 with its own pledge to anonymize search records after six months.

Yahoo anonymizes the data by stripping out portions of users' numeric Internet addresses, altering small tracking files known as "cookies" and deleting other potential personally identifiable information. Under the new policy, Yahoo will keep such personally identifiable data for the full 18 months before anonymizing the records.

"Yahoo is absolutely backtracking from what had been an industry-leading position," said Erica Newland, a policy analyst at the Center for Democracy & Technology, a privacy watchdog group based in Washington.

Anne Toth, who oversees privacy matters at Yahoo as its chief trust officer, said the company is operating in a different competitive environment today — with social networking sites, mobile apps and other online services all battling for consumer attention.

To keep up, she said, Yahoo needs to be able to offer its own highly personalized services — including online shopping recommendations, customized news pages and search tools that can anticipate what users are looking for. To pick out patterns for such personalization, Toth said, Yahoo needs to analyze a larger set of data on user behavior.

But Newland said Yahoo's policy change underscores the need for government-imposed limits, rather than the self-regulation the industry largely enjoys now. She said the pressure on Internet companies to mine consumer data for commercial purposes has produced to "a race to the bottom" in privacy protection.

Match.com to check users in sex offender registry (AP)

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 11:28 PM PDT

By ANDREW DALTON, Associated Press Andrew Dalton, Associated Press – Mon Apr 18, 2:28 am ET

LOS ANGELES – Singles website Match.com said Sunday that it will begin screening its users against the national sex offender registry after a woman filed a lawsuit against the company saying she had been assaulted by someone she met through the dating service.

Mandy Ginsberg, president of the popular singles site, told The Associated Press in an email that the company had considered such screenings for years, but "their historical unreliability has always led us to conclude against it."

Ginsberg said after talking to providers and advisers the last few days, company officials decided to make a change.

"We've been advised that a combination of improved technology and an improved database now enables a sufficient degree of accuracy to move forward with this initiative, despite its continued imperfection."

Last week, a California woman filed a lawsuit against the website, saying she was sexually assaulted while on a second date at a West Hollywood cafe by a man she met through Match.com. The suit said the attack could have been prevented with a proper background check and demanded that Match.com start screening for sexual predators.

The company's move to screen its users was already being considered and did not come in direct response to the lawsuit, but the timing of the decision was accelerated by the attention the suit brought, Match.com spokesman Matthew Traub said.

Ginsberg said the company's new policy was no substitute for subscribers remaining vigilant on dates.

"We want to stress that while these checks may help in certain instances, they remain highly flawed, and it is critical that this effort does not provide a false sense of security to our members."

The company offers several safety tips to its users, including always meeting for the first time in public, telling a friend or family member where the date will take place, and staying sober.

Match said it expected to be able to implement the policy was in 60 to 90 days.

The Dallas-based Match.com, founded in 1995, is owned by Internet consumer company IAC/InterActiveCorp, whose dating division also includes Chemistry.com and the recently acquired OKCupid.

Startup Helps Local Businesses Serve Deals on Their Own Schedules (Mashable)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 04:33 PM PDT

Sarah Kessler Sarah Kessler – Mon Apr 18, 7:33 pm ET

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Thinknear

Quick Pitch: Thinknear automatically adjusts and distributes deals for local businesses depending on how busy the business locations are.

Genius Idea: Using mobile ad networks to distribute deals instead of an app or mailing list.

For every glowing account of a business that turned a daily-deal offer into a successful marketing campaign, there is a cautionary tale of another being run into the ground by an influx of low-paying customers.

Thinknear wants to give small, local businesses an opportunity to promote themselves with deals that help their bottom line instead of hurt it. The company's product pushes deals to nearby mobile phones depending on a business's current foot traffic.

On a Tuesday afternoon, for instance, Thinknear might send out a 50% discount for a restaurant that is usually slow during that time. Three hours later, on Tuesday night, it might only take a 30% discount to fill the restaurant. The system learns what works best for each business and adjusts accordingly.

An algorithm also takes into account factors like traffic, weather, and nearby events to automatically decide which deals to push to customers. Deals have a one-hour expiration window to ensure they really do fill the empty slots as intended.

Group buying sites such as LivingSocial and Groupon have ventured into this territory, and both have huge head starts in gaining subscribers and participants for flash deals.

But the real brilliance of Thinknear's product is that there's no app, no mailing list, and no sign-up of any kind to receive the deals. Rather, the startup is relying on mobile ad networks to display its deals on the appropriate cell phones.

Only 25% of mobile publishers sell more than half of their inventory, according to a 2010 survey by mobile ad network Mojiva. Thinknear cofounder Eli Portnoy says this makes it relatively inexpensive to push a deal to people within a designated radius. Thinknear also has an API that will allow coupon and deal apps to integrate its deals. Merchants pay a flat fee for the service and are guaranteed a certain number of customers will claim the deal (no purchase required) and show up to redeem it.

Thinknear recently finished the TechStars New York Accelerator program and is currently raising its Series A. It plans to launch its product within the next two weeks.

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

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Gang members indicted in online prostitution ring (Reuters)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 06:06 PM PDT

By Marty Graham Marty Graham – Mon Apr 18, 9:06 pm ET

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) – Three dozen Crips street gang members and two motel owners have been indicted for running a prostitution ring that targeted underage girls through social networking sites including MySpace, Craigslist, Twitter and Facebook, prosecutors said on Monday.

The U.S. District Court indictment, unsealed on Monday, alleges that several former rival factions of the gang worked together to recruit new prostitutes by targeting underage girls from broken homes.

Writing letters from prison as well as establishing contact using MySpace, Twitter and Facebook, the gang members gained control over the girls and then advertised them using Craigslist and Backpage.com, as well as more traditional methods, according to the indictment.

Adult women were also recruited, abused and traded among pimps, the indictment alleges.

"I regard the kind of prostitution involved in this case, including the trafficking of children via the Internet, social networking sites and local businesses, as a form of modern-day slavery to which every available law enforcement resource will be applied," Laura Duffy, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, said at a press conference to announce the indictments.

Duffy said investigators had rescued about 30 underage girls from the pimps, who took them on the road to Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Florida, Texas and Michigan and forced them to work.

The indictment also charges Vinod Patel, 60, and Hitesh Patel, 27, with being part of the conspiracy by providing a rooms at the Oceanside Travelodge motel, knowing they were being used for illegal activity.

According to the indictment, the rooms were isolated from the legitimate business clients and were sold to the gang members at a higher cost than the legitimate lodgers.

Prosecutors said the 38 defendants face up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

The government is also seeking the forfeiture of the motel.

(Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Greg McCune)

Defendant pleads not guilty in online poker case (Reuters)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 04:03 PM PDT

By Jonathan Stempel Jonathan Stempel – Mon Apr 18, 7:03 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) – An Illinois man pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges he helped three popular online poker websites trick banks into illegally processing payments from U.S. customers in $3 billion scheme.

Bradley Franzen entered his plea to a nine-count indictment, which accused him of running illegal gambling businesses and conspiring to commit bank fraud and money laundering, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank Maas in Manhattan federal court.

Prosecutors said Franzen was a "payment processor" who, with several accomplices, created fake companies and websites that purported to sell such items as golf balls and jewelry to disguise payments and lied to banks about the transactions.

Separately, co-defendant John Campos, a vice chairman at SunFirst Bank in St. George, Utah, was directed by a U.S. magistrate judge in that city to appear at a later date in the Manhattan court, a clerk for the Utah court said.

Prosecutors say Campos, 57, agreed to process gambling transactions in return for letting co-defendant Chad Elie and an associate invest $10 million in SunFirst, giving them a more than 30 percent stake in the privately-held bank.

Elie also faces a nine-count indictment and is expected to appear Tuesday in the Manhattan court. Campos faces six criminal charges and has not entered a plea.

The defendants are among 11 people charged on Friday, when U.S. authorities seized the Internet domain names for Absolute Poker, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars.

These seizures effectively shut down their online gambling businesses, which are based outside the United States.

Eight other defendants, including the websites' founders, remain at large outside the country.

The case may test whether a 2006 U.S. federal law, which prohibits Internet gambling businesses from accepting payments from the United States, can be applied to entities based in other countries.

Dressed in a blue plaid shirt and tan pants, Franzen said "not guilty, your honor" when asked on Monday for his plea.

Bail was set at $200,000, secured by equity on the home of Franzen's parents.

"That seems reasonable under the circumstances," Maas said.

Sam Schmidt, a lawyer for Franzen, had no immediate comment after the hearing.

Neal Kaplan, a lawyer for Campos, did not immediately return requests for comment.

The case is U.S. v. Franzen, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 11-mj-00706.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel; editing by Andre Grenon)

Apple sues Samsung for 'copying' its products (Digital Trends)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 09:09 PM PDT

Trevor Mogg Trevor Mogg – 37 mins ago

apple samsungAccording to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Apple is more than a little unhappy with the design of some of Samsung's leading smartphones (Galaxy S 4G, Epic 4G, Nexus S), as well as the Galaxy Tab touchscreen tablet.

In fact, Apple's disgruntlement was so acute that it led them to file a 38-page lawsuit in the Northern District of California on Friday, alleging that the design of these popular devices violated Apple's intellectual property. Apple's action against Samsung includes trademark infringement claims, as well as a plethora of patent claims.

The lawsuit said: “Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smartphone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products.â€

Although each company's devices uses different operating systems, the lawsuit revolves around issues such as the similarity of the icons between the various devices – a look which, according to the lawsuit, was apparently not always so: "Even the icons in earlier versions of the Samsung smartphones looked different because they had a variety of shapes and did not appear as a field of square icons with rounded corners," it said.

Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said in a statement: "This kind of blatant copying is wrong." According to Reuters, Samsung representative Kim Titus said in an email that the company intended to protect its intellectual property and that they would "actively" respond to the lawsuit. "Samsung's development of core technologies and strengthening our intellectual property portfolio are keys to our continued success," Titus's email stated.

A particularly interesting part of this legal action centers on the fact that Apple devices incorporate a number of components made by none other than Samsung. And even as recently as February it was being reported that Apple would be spending a whopping $7.8 billion on Samsung parts. It seems that Apple would prefer it if Samsung stuck to making components rather than complete devices.

The lawsuit is the latest in an ever increasing number of such actions; Nokia sued Apple in May 2010 over various patents; Apple sued HTC in a couple of months prior to that, and now they’re gunning for Samsung. Expect plenty of tit-for-tat lawsuits to continue to fly for the foreseeable.

This lateset lawsuit could be seen by some as a sign that Apple is feeling the heat in the battle for smartphone/tablet supremacy, with Samsung's offerings proving ever popular with consumers.

Apple sues Samsung over Galaxy phones, tablets (Reuters)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 06:07 PM PDT

By Dan Levine and Miyoung Kim Dan Levine And Miyoung Kim – Mon Apr 18, 9:07 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO/SEOUL (Reuters)- Apple Inc has sued rival Samsung Electronics claiming that the South Korean firm's Galaxy line of mobile phones and tablets "slavishly" copies the iPhone and iPad, according to court papers.

Samsung is one of the fastest growing smartphone makers and has also emerged as Apple's strongest competitor in the booming tablet market with models in three sizes, although it remains a distant second in the space.

Its Galaxy products use Google Inc's Android operating system, which directly competes with Apple's mobile software, the lawsuit said. However, Apple's claims against Samsung focus on Galaxy's design features, such as the look of its screen icons.

John Jackson, an analyst with CCS Insight, said Samsung is essentially Apple's only real tablet competitor at this stage.

"It's clear that they do not intend to let Apple run away with the category," Jackson said.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday, alleges Samsung violated Apple's patents and trademarks.

"This kind of blatant copying is wrong," Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said in a statement.

Samsung said in a statement on Tuesday that it would respond to the legal action "through appropriate legal measures to protect our intellectual property."

"Samsung's development of core technologies and strengthening our intellectual property portfolio are keys to our continued success," it said.

To better compete with Apple, Samsung redesigned within weeks its new 10.1-inch tablet, first introduced in February, to make it the thinnest in the category after Apple set the trend with its iPad 2.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has criticised Samsung and other rivals in presentations of new products or technology debates. Analysts say the response by Samsung to this has been muted, partly because Apple was Samsung's second-biggest customer last year after Japan's Sony.

Apple brought in around 6.2 trillion won ($5.7 billion) of sales to Samsung in 2010 mainly by purchasing semiconductors, according to Samsung's annual report.

Samsung shares slipped about 1 percent in early Tuesday trade to their lowest level in one month, underperforming a 0.5 percent fall in the broader market. At 8:40 p.m. EDT, Samsung shares were down 0.7 percent at 861,000 won.

WEB OF LITIGATION

Apple is one participant in a web of litigation among phone makers and software firms over who owns the patents used in smartphones. For instance, Nokia has sued Apple, which in turn has sued handset maker HTC Corp.

U.S. International Trade Commission staff, at a hearing on Monday, recommended that HTC and Nokia shouldn't be found liable for infringing Apple's patents relating to smartphones, Bloomberg reported.

ITC staff act on behalf of the public and its recommendations are not binding.

In its lawsuit against Samsung, Apple noted that earlier versions of Samsung smart phones did not embody the same combination of Apple's designs.

"Even the icons in earlier versions of the Samsung smart phones looked different because they had a variety of shapes -- and did not appear as a field of square icons with rounded corners," the lawsuit said.

Apple is bringing 16 claims against Samsung, including unjust enrichment, trademark infringement and 10 patent claims.

The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. et al, 11-1846.

($1 = 1,088.500 Won)

(Additional reporting by Tarmo Virki in HELSINKI and Miyoung Kim in SEOUL; Editing by Richard Chang and Dhara Ranasinghe)

Why Twitter Wants to Acquire TweetDeck (Mashable)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 03:27 PM PDT

Ben Parr Ben Parr – Mon Apr 18, 6:27 pm ET

Why is Twitter so interested in acquiring TweetDeck? To answer that question, one has to dig deeper into Twitter's complicated relationship with "frenemy" UberMedia.

Earlier today, The Wall Street Journal published a story claiming that Twitter is in talks to acquire TweetDeck, the most popular third-party client on Twitter's platform, for around $50 million. This wouldn't normally surprise us; however, TweetDeck was reportedly acquired for $30 million by Bill Gross's UberMedia in February.

There's a lot of backstory between Twitter and UberMedia. UberMedia, founded just a few months ago as an Idealab company, is the owner of UberSocial, Twidroyd, Echofon and UberCurrent, a combination that accounts for more than 11% of all tweets sent. It was founded by serial entrepreneur and Idealab creator Bill Gross. Idealab is the Pasedena-based incubator behind a wide range of companies including Picasa, Compete, Citysearch, eToys.com, Answers.com and Netzero.

There has been recent friction between Twitter and UberMedia. In February, Twitter banned UberSocial and Twidroyd for API violations. This was just weeks after the rumors about the TweetDeck acquisition first hit the wires.

According to two sources close to the situation, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, UberMedia and TweetDeck were indeed talking about an acquisition. But either the deal never closed or it closed and then fell apart shortly afterward.

Then, last week, CNN first reported that UberMedia was building a Twitter competitor, one that could possibly remove the 140-character limit restriction on messages. From what our sources tell us, CNN's report is accurate: UberMedia has been working on a direct competitor to Twitter. (As expected, Bill Gross wouldn't say anything about the rumors surrounding UberMedia when I visited Idealab last week).

We don't know very much about the UberMedia competitor, but we don't believe Bill Gross's goal is to destroy Twitter. Instead, it's more likely UberMedia's Twitter competitor is a backup plan in case its apps get banned from Twitter's platform for some reason. Our belief is that Bill Gross would much rather work with Twitter than compete with it.

That brings us to today's rumors about Twitter's interest in TweetDeck. Recently, Twitter's Ryan Sarver advised developers not to create Twitter clients that reproduce "the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience," so it's natural to think that Twitter is simply trying to consolidate its fragmented ecosystem by acquiring TweetDeck.

However, this acquisition is more likely a defensive move by the microblogging platform to keep TweetDeck out of UberMedia's hands. Twitter simply doesn't want one company controlling more than 20% of the ecosystem; that acquisition would give UberMedia way too much leverage and influence over Twitter's platform. That's why Twitter is willing to dish out $20 million more than UberMedia's initial offer to TweetDeck.

Now for the big question: How will this piece of Twitter theater end?

The answer to that question lies with TweetDeck founder Iain Dodsworth, who will ultimately decide whether he wants to sell. He hasn't confirmed or denied any rumors yet, but we've reached out to him via email and will update you if and when he responds.

Apple Sues Samsung, Says It Copied IPad (PC World)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 04:30 PM PDT

Stephen Lawson Stephen Lawson – Mon Apr 18, 7:30 pm ET

Apple has sued Samsung for allegedly copying the iPad, iPod and iPhone with its Galaxy Tab and Galaxy handsets.

Samsung copied Apple technologies, designs and even packaging with its Google Android-based products, according to a complaint filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Apple is seeking a jury trial in the case.

"Instead of pursuing independent product development, Samsung has chosen to slavishly copy Apple's innovative technology, distinctive user interfaces, and elegant and distinctive product and packaging design, in violation of Apple's valuable intellectual property rights," Apple said in the complaint.

Late last year, Samsung became the first major consumer electronics maker to roll out a tablet to compete with the iPad. It is also one of the world's largest makers of mobile phones, especially handsets that use Android.

The complaint includes 10 charges of patent infringement, two of trademark violation and two of trade dress violations, plus unjust enrichment and unfair business practices. Apple named Samsung Electronics, Samsung America and Samsung Telecommunications America as defendants. The case was filed at the district court in San Francisco but is being transferred to Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler at the court's Oakland, California, location.

A spokesman for Samsung in the U.S. said the company had no comment on the lawsuit. Apple officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

The allegations span a broad range of Samsung's mobile devices, including the Epic 4G, Captivate, Indulge, Nexus S and Galaxy S 4G smartphones as well as the Galaxy Tab. Apple singled out the Galaxy product line for criticism.

"The copying is so pervasive, that the Samsung Galaxy products appear to be actual Apple products -- with the same rectangular shape with rounded corners, silver edging, a flat surface face with substantial top and bottom black borders, gently curving edges on the back, and a display of colorful square icons with rounded corners," the complaint said.

Apple wants an injunction to stop Samsung's alleged intellectual property violations, along with actual and punitive damages, Samsung's "wrongfully obtained profits" and funds for corrective advertising about the allegedly confusing products.

Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Stephen's e-mail address is stephen_lawson@idg.com

Digital Coupons Outperform Print Coupons But Cost More [REPORT] (Mashable)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 11:20 AM PDT

Todd Wasserman Todd Wasserman – Mon Apr 18, 2:20 pm ET

Digital print-at-home coupons get more first-time buyers to try a product, but they aren't as cost-efficient as standard coupons, according to a new report.

Analyzing data from a panel of 23 million loyalty card shoppers from 2008 to 2010, Knowledge Networks found printable digital coupons generally performed better than standard coupons. The company reports that such coupons were more likely to attract new consumers -- 46% of digital coupon redeemers hadn't bought the product before, compared with 34% of standard coupon redeemers. Overall, digital coupons drew more new buyers than print coupons did by a margin of 35%.

Digital coupons also drove incremental redemptions (purchases that wouldn't have occurred without the coupon) at a greater rate -- 77% versus 68%.

But such coupons yield 18% less return on investment than standard coupons, the study found. Knowledge Networks attributed the lower ROI for digital coupons to the "historically low distribution costs" for standard print coupons. According to the report, Baby Boomers and large families were the biggest users of both types of coupons.

The report, which will be released Tuesday, is available here. The research did not look at mobile coupons.

Image courtesy of Flickr, sds2027

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iPhone game Celebrity Bodyguard waltzes onto the red carpet (Appolicious)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 06:30 PM PDT

Starbucks Is My Office: A Guide for Virtual (and Over-Caffeinated) Workers (PC World)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 06:00 PM PDT

Liane Cassavoy Liane Cassavoy – Mon Apr 18, 9:00 pm ET

You're gripping a triple-shot Espresso Macchiato with your left hand and prepping a presentation on your laptop's screen with your right. You chat with your client from your smartphone, trusting that the whoosh of the milk steamer doesn't drown out the conversation. "I sure hope the Wi-Fi holds," you think.

In short, you work from Starbucks. And you're not alone.

Thom Singer, a professional speaker and entrepreneur from Austin, Texas, understands you. Though he doesn't pay for office space, he jokingly remarks: "I like to say I have 'South Austin, North Austin, and downtown offices.'" Those spots, however, are the locations of the Starbucks coffee shops he frequents.

"I am the type of person who would go crazy without being around other people. Working from home or a rented office would get lonely fast," Singer says.

Thanks to their offer of free Wi-Fi, the promise of companionship, and a never-ending supply of tasty, caffeinated treats, coffeehouses like Starbucks have become an office away from home for many entrepreneurs and self-employed folks.

Working out of your local coffee shop offers multiple conveniences and can save you plenty of cash, but it also poses various challenges. Staying productive and keeping your gear (and the data it contains) secure can be tough--as can obeying the often-unwritten rules that govern a communal workspace.

Does Starbucks Mind?

We asked Starbucks' corporate communications department if the company had an official policy on in-shop workplaces, but representatives declined to answer, saying instead that "Starbucks stores were designed to be community gathering places...We know that Wi-Fi and the Starbucks Digital Network continue to be big draws in our store and our customers tell us they appreciate having access to this offering for work or personal use."

How Starbucks enforces that nonpolicy seems to vary from store to store. An informal poll of baristas at Starbucks locations in suburban Boston revealed that most are happy to have you sit as long as you'd like as long as you're a paying customer, though some admitted that they may ask fixtures to vacate when a long line of folks are waiting for a seat.

Even if they don't directly ask you to leave, however, they may gently encourage your exit. "We are convinced the baristas try to freeze us out by jacking up the air conditioning at certain points of the day," says Tandaleya Wilder, a publicist and founder of She Got Game Media, who often works out of a Starbucks in Miami's South Beach. Also, she notes that the baristas sometimes "purposely play the worse rotation of songs imaginable to get us out of there."

Bad music and freezing temperatures are not the only potential drawbacks of working in a public environment. Like any office, your local coffee shop has its own rules, office politics, and etiquette. And like any office, a Starbucks has prime workspaces--and not so prime locations. The only difference when it comes to working in a Starbucks is that you aren't guaranteed the same desk every day.

Location, Location

All of the folks we talked to for this story agreed about certain rules of office etiquette. Chief among them: Never take up more space than you need. Select the smallest table that's available, and be prepared to share. That means you shouldn't plan on carting in your CRT monitor (hey, it's not completely unheard of); instead, you'll want as portable a setup as possible.

Mark Lassoff, who owns a small technical training business, regularly works out of a Starbucks in Manchester, Connecticut. He recommends using a small laptop, with a screen that measures about 13 inches. As he notes, your laptop may very well end up on your lap--and then "you don't need the extra heft of a larger machine."

The prime seats are those located next to power outlets, which can be scarce. Derek Jech, a freelance logo designer and marketing coordinator in the Los Angeles area, offers this advice: "Charge your computer fully and then unplug. This allows your neighbor time to get their battery power up, while yours is depleting." Or look for coffeehouses that put in long table or larger tables--some with extra outlets and reading lamps--for the officeless hordes.

You also should consider packing a back-up battery and an extension cord--but be warned that it's a serious breach of etiquette to snake it across the floor where folks can trip on it. You can win points with your coworkers by providing a surge protector that allows you to share an outlet. Keith Hinzman, an architect who regularly works out of a Starbucks in Melrose, Massachusetts, says that an outlet splitter (like this one) is "a good secret weapon" to pack.

The Gear That Works

If you're looking for a thin-and-light laptop to rule cafés with, check out PCWorld's top-ranked ultraportable notebooks. Other options include Dell's new Vostro 3000 Series laptops, which are designed to offer portability and long-lasting battery life, the sleek Samsung Series 9, and the ultra-thin MacBook Air.

Security is probably the biggest concern for folks who work in a public environment. But none of the work-from-café types that we talked to for this story reported feeling unsafe or terribly worried about their gear. Most folks rely on a friendly neighbor or barista to keep an eye on their laptop when they run to the restroom or step outside to make a phone call.

Less trusting workers may want to invest in a laptop lock, however. You can opt for a security cable with a combination lock or a keyed lock, or one that provides both types of locks. Kensington's $55 MicroSaver Keyed Alarm Notebook Lock has an alarm that can be heard 50 feet away and is triggered when the cable is cut. Targus, meanwhile, offers the $55 DEFCON 1 Ultra Laptop Computer Security System, which features a steel cable, motion sensor technology, and an audible alarm.

Keeping your gear safe is only half the battle, though. You also need to protect the data it contains. If you're looking at sensitive information--such as invoices, bills, or banking statements--on your PC, you can hide it from prying eyes with a tool such as Kensington's $78 Privacy Screen, which limits the viewing angle of your laptop's display.

Using a public hotspot can expose you to dangers that go beyond nosey neighbors, however. You can up the level of security with a service like WiFi Guardian, HotSpotVPN, or Hotspot Shield.

Next: Staying in Sync at the Coffeehouse

Starbucks mobile payment app on board, of course) close by--but the Starbucks regulars we've talked to agree that conducting lengthy or loud phone calls from your seat is a breach of etiquette. Step outside if you need to. But for when you do need to make calls, a service like Google Voice will help ensure that colleagues who need to find you can easily do so.

If you're looking for a professional, yet inexpensive, phone option, Christopher Young has some recommendations. Young owns eVoice or RingCentral, which deliver such business-friendly options as virtual voicemail, professional call routing, and automated message routing.

For collaboration, Young recommends Facebook Groups, Campfire (a relatively inexpensive tool for business users), and DropBox (the simple document-sharing service).

A cloud-based backup service like iDrive or SugarSync can help guarantee that you'll have access to the files you need--and it will free you from having to carry around a USB drive for backup.

What else do you need to keep yourself productive while working from a coffeeshop? Most people recommend a good pair of noise-canceling headphones--for instance, the mc3 Headset + Earphones from Etymotic Research or Bose's QuietComfort 15 Noise Cancelling Headphones. These devices block out any background noise, and they prevent others from being disturbed by your music or videos.

Why Bother?

Lugging all that gear to your local coffeehouse may seem like more trouble than it's worth. But Starbucks regulars disagree. Most consider the distractions posed by fellow patrons to be less challenging than the distractions they would face if they worked at home, where kids, spouse, chores, and other diversions lurk.

"It's almost like you're working in a fishbowl. You're on display, so you do more work," says Keith Hinzman. Add in the ability to meet new friends, network a little, and--of course--ingest caffeine, and it's clear why so many people call their local café their place of business.

There is one more factor to consider. Joe Calderone, who does freelance marketing, graphic design, and Web design work from a local coffee store in the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst, Illinois, offers this bit of advice: "Watch how much coffee you actually drink. When focusing on all of the work being done, you don't realize how many cups you've downed until 'the twitches' kick in. Not only is it an uncomfortable feeling, but it also can drain funds."

U.S. ad spending seen marching steadily higher (Reuters)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 02:48 PM PDT

– Mon Apr 18, 5:48 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. advertising spending should rise by 3.1 percent this year, with cable television, online video and mobile marketing leading the charge, according to a forecast released on Monday.

The forecast from Interpublic Group's Magnaglobal confirms what many media executives, particularly those in television and digital media, have been saying: A better economy has made corporations more confident about launching big branding and product campaigns.

While it is increasingly clear that spending has recovered, it remains to be seen when growth rates will begin to accelerate.

The projected 3.1 percent increase this year, for instance, is nearly identical to the 2010 growth rate, according to Magnaglobal.

Advertisers are also showing a preference for more targeted marketing, according to the forecast. National cable television spending is estimated to increase a hefty 10.8 percent, while spending on mainstream broadcast networks including ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox is forecast to rise by 2.4 percent.

The other hotspot over the remainder of this year will be spending on digital media ads, thanks in large measure to investment in mobile and online video campaigns. Spending in the category is forecast to rise 18.7 percent this year.

(Reporting by Paul Thomasch; Editing by Richard Chang)

Japan woes force scrutiny of Apple's margins (Reuters)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 06:35 PM PDT

By Poornima Gupta Poornima Gupta – Mon Apr 18, 9:35 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc may provide the first signs this week that the Japanese crisis is pressuring margins, clouding what should otherwise be another dazzling second quarter for the makers of the iPad and iPhone.

Wall Street has been afire with speculation of how a shortage of crucial components from Japan, which provides more than a 10th of global electronics components, might swell costs and constrain supply -- particularly of the marquee iPad 2 launched in March.

With Silicon Valley magician Steve Jobs, a pancreatic cancer survivor, still sidelined indefinitely on medical leave, some analysts warn the Japanese disruption will shave points off Apple's gross margins for the rest of this year.

"The earnings are going to be really great. We are looking to see how they address the supply chain issues in Japan," said Wedbush Securities analyst Scott Sutherland. "They are getting the components, but at higher prices."

Apple could see its margins decline by 200-300 basis points in the June quarter, Sutherland said, adding the pressure could continue into the September quarter as well.

"They do have the margins to absorb it whereas a lot of their competitors don't," he said.

Investors are also curious to see whether the faster, thinner iPad 2 can outpace sales of the original, of about 1 million units in 30 days.

Analysts expect second-quarter earnings to showcase Apple's domination of the rapidly growing tablet market.

The main drivers of growth, apart from the iPad, include the ever-popular iPhone, which was also available on the Verizon network during the past quarter, and the refreshed MacBook Pro computer that began shipping in February.

Analysts are estimating sales of about 6 million iPads in the fiscal second quarter, alongside about 16 million iPhones and 3-4 million Macs.

But the biggest question for Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook and other executives on Wednesday would be how much Japan would affect sales for the rest of the year. Apple is a voracious consumer of touchscreen displays and flash memory, among other components most heavily affected by the Japanese tsunami.

Apple's weak spot in recent months has been gross margin. And Wall Street is forecasting a gross margin of just over 39 percent, down from 41.67 percent from the previous period.

Apple is famously conservative with its forecasts, but investors will pick apart executives' comments this week for their views on Japan, plus seek answers to persistent questions over Jobs' continued absence and his role now.

They would also seek any indications of timing for the return of Jobs, who had led Apple from near-bankruptcy to become the world's most valuable technology company.

TABLET MARKET UP FOR GRABS

The battle for bragging rights in the booming tablet computing market is heating up, bolstered by IDC's estimate that personal computer sales had fallen for the first time in two years because consumers were eschewing laptops.

People still line up outside Apple stores daily, hoping to lay their hands on the minuscule stocks of iPad 2 that make it onto shelves. The only one available at an Apple store in Silicon Valley on Sunday was the costly 64 GB version tethered to the Verizon network, for $829.

"The two things that will deliver the upside will be iPad and the Mac business," said Shaw Wu, analyst with Sterne Agee. "Even with the tough (supply) constraints, they are likely to beat on the iPad2."

But problems in the logistics chain would come at a time when a spate of products -- from Motorola Inc's Xoom to Samsung Electronic's Galaxy, both powered by Google Inc's Android software -- are gaining traction. Research in Motion's PlayBook, though poorly reviewed, hits store shelves on Tuesday with an existing corporate customer base.

Another area of concern is Apple's next iPhone, which it typically introduces in the summer. Some see that pushed to the fall, and investors will want clues on its timing.

Apple's shares have slipped since Nasdaq said early this month it would rebalance the Nasdaq 100, slashing Apple's out-sized weighting. They have fallen in six of the last nine sessions since, and are down nearly 8 percent after scaling a peak of $359.90 in February.

Still, Apple is in an enviable place with its well-designed products, market dominance, and its cash-rich and debt-free balance sheet. The stock -- which trades at roughly 18 times forward earnings, versus 19 times for Google and 10 times for Microsoft Corp -- is considered a must-have in any technology portfolio.

On Monday, shares of Apple touch panel supplier TPK rose 6 percent, reflecting investor optimism about prospects of Apple's iPads and iPhones.

Blowing away estimates has become commonplace for Apple, which is expected to report earnings of $5.35 a share on revenue of $23.3 billion according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

According to StarMine SmartEstimates, which places more weight on timelier forecasts by top-rated analysts, Apple could report EPS 2.2 percent above Wall Street's average target.

"If people want growth and growth at a reasonable price, there's Apple," said BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis. "Apple is the best growth stock out there in the tech universe."

(Editing by Edwin Chan and Richard Chang)

Adobe Platform Will Stream Videos To Apple's iPad (NewsFactor)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 01:58 PM PDT

Mark Long, newsfactor.com Mark Long, newsfactor.com – Mon Apr 18, 4:58 pm ET

Adobe Systems' Flash Media Server platform is poised to embrace new HTML5 capabilities that will enable content publishers to stream protected video to more mobile devices, including Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. To make this happen, Adobe will add support for HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) -- a technology developed by Apple as part of the company's QuickTime X and iOS software.

Demonstrated last week at the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas, Adobe's HLS-enabled Flash Media Server (FMS) promises to deliver a compatible MPEG2 transport stream to mobile devices lacking Adobe Flash support, which is welcome news, observed Al Hilwa, director of applications program development at IDC.

"Many video sources which use Flash have not been able to serve iOS devices because of the cost involved in getting add-on servers to handle them," Hilwa said Monday. "This allows them to upgrade to the latest FMS and begin serving iOS devices potentially without new hardware outlays and added costs of managing new infrastructure."

A Great Strategy

Apple has already prepared an Internet draft document for HLS -- the first stage in the process of submitting the technology to the Internet Engineering Task Force as a proposed Internet standard. Moreover, Google has already added HLS support in Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

Adobe views the addition of HLS as a good way to dramatically reduce the publishing complexity for broadcasters who need to reach mobile devices on which Adobe Flash is not installed, noted Adobe Senior Product Manager Kevin Towes. The forthcoming technology "will allow us to deliver a consistent live video stream across multiple devices and over the desktop," he said.

In a video posted online at Adobe, Towes demonstrated some examples of live video encoding to the Apple iPad 2 and the Motorola Xoom as well as how web designers will be able to use Adobe's Dreamweaver web editor to create HTML5 pages on which HLS-enabled live video streams can be displayed.

"We also began previewing the next version of Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder, which can capture a live broadcast stream and publish out to multiple devices, including Android, Apple iOS, and Samsung TVs," Towes wrote in a blog.

Animation and Artwork Conversions

The move to embrace HLS within FMS is merely the latest sign that Adobe intends to leverage the web's transition to HTML5 to ensure that Flash developers don't have to make an either-or choice.

"This is a great strategy for Adobe Systems because plug-in approaches will always own the high end of graphics manipulation," Hilwa observed. "But HTML5 will be very widely adopted for all other web sites."

Unfortunately, Adobe's support for HLS will do nothing to help Flash-based animations and games run on iOS devices. But the software maker released an experimental tool called Wallaby last month that enables developers to convert their animation and artwork creations to a format that can be displayed on devices running iOS.

"Wallaby is aimed at allowing developers to keep developing for Flash, but also target iOS devices through the conversion to HTML5," Hilwa said. "To the extent that developers do use Wallaby, it will mean more and more content developed in Flash will reach iOS users."

Hilwa believes that Wallaby, coupled with the ability to deliver iOS apps with Creative Suite, should cover both bases for Adobe: Web apps and native apps. "Of course there will still be sites out there that will not be coded either way and so will be inaccessible to iOS users at this time," Hilwa added.

AP Enterprise: AEG seeks early rights in LA deal (AP)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 01:43 AM PDT

By JACOB ADELMAN, Associated Press Jacob Adelman, Associated Press – Mon Apr 18, 4:43 am ET

LOS ANGELES – LOS ANGELES (AP) — A proposal to bring NFL football to downtown Los Angeles is not supposed to cost a public penny, but a little-noticed provision in a current draft of the plan would transfer valuable development rights from the city to the developer pitching the project.

The concession sought by sports and entertainment company AEG would allow the company to expand its robust presence in a rapidly developing area considered a cornerstone of the city's downtown revival.

The company's initial printed pitch, which a City Council committee will begin considering Monday, envisions a deal that would grant it the ability to build on a 2.4-acre parcel within its LA Live hotel and restaurant complex that the city planned to use to expand its aging convention center.

The firm had agreed to leave the so-called Event Deck parcel alone until 2021 as part of the 2001 deal that allowed the company to build its 27-acre LA Live project on land that it owns.

After that, the 250,000 square feet of development rights over several stories would fall into AEG's hands to add to LA Live, a buzzing oasis of nighttime activity that was promoted as a major draw to enliven a once-sleepy downtown.

AEG now says the city no longer needs access to the parcel, which experts said could be developed into retail and office space worth millions to the company each year in leasing revenue, because a new convention center building would be built along with the 72,000-seat stadium it has proposed.

The request is part of a so-called transaction overview that AEG sent to city officials in February.

"If the city is not going to use it, then there's no need to hold it for them," AEG spokesman Michael Roth said of the parcel, stressing that the company would need to go through a formal entitlement process with the city to have anything built there.

The AEG-owned parcel's only allowable use under the 2001 deal would be for a convention center expansion, something the city has not made any serious moves toward constructing.

But some still may interpret the potential surrender of an asset of such value as a giveaway to AEG, said California State University, Los Angeles, political science professor Gregory Andranovich, co-author of "Olympic Dreams: The Impact of Mega-Events on Local Politics."

"It would be an opportunity to get something online 10 years earlier," he said. "Also, with all the other construction going on, it's an opportunity for AEG to push something through much faster and with less scrutiny.

AEG's stadium plan is one of two competing proposals that aim to bring football back to Los Angeles some 15 years after the Rams and Raiders left the nation's second-largest market within months of one another.

Warehouse magnate Ed Roski has permits in place to build a separate 75,000-seat stadium about 15 miles east of Los Angeles, in the city of Industry.

Both camps have said they hope to recruit a team — and possibly two — from among those in the league that need a new stadium to maximize revenue but are unable to get one built in their current locations .

The San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars are among the teams often mentioned as possible candidates to play in the proposed venues.

AEG often touts LA Live's role in helping rejuvenate downtown Los Angeles as a preview of the impact its stadium proposal could have when promoting its plan to city residents and officials.

The complex's storefronts and office suites are now fully occupied, with such retail tenants as ESPN Zone, Lucky Strike Lanes bowling alley and The Yard House, a bar touting the world's largest selection of draft beer.

Nutritional supplement company Herbalife International of America Inc. is one of the largest tenants in the complex's office space, where AEG's headquarters are also located.

Roth said the firm has not yet considered what to do with the space, which would face the site where the firm hopes to build its football stadium.

Whitley Collins, who represented Herbalife in its leasing negotiations with AEG as a brokerage director for real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, said additional development would likely include more bars and restaurants to draw fans who wouldn't be able to tailgate in parking garages in the densely developed area.

"Based on the fact that it's across the street from the stadium, based on the fact that the biggest knock on the stadium is no tailgating, boy, that makes a lot of sense," said Collins, who predicted that AEG would add additional office space on the development's upper stories.

Collins estimated that retail and office space could lease for as much as $27 per square foot once the market for commercial property recovers — up to $6.75 million each year if all 250,000 square feet are developed. Such a development would increase the amount of office and retail space at LA Live by nearly 25 percent.

AEG has said it would pick up the entire $1 billion construction tab for its stadium. The venue would be constructed over half the existing convention center, which would be rebuilt to attract more conventions.

The company's plan calls for the city to issue some $350 million in bonds to finance the demolition and relocation of the contention center hall displaced by the stadium.

AEG officials have said they would ask the city to let it use stadium ticket taxes and new venue-related revenue from city-owned parking lots to service the debt on the bonds, but would make up an estimated $6-million-to-$8-million shortfall.

Roth said the plan would nearly double the amount of space at the convention center from 770 square feet to about 1.2 million square feet, which would allow the city to seek business from some two dozen major conventions that currently do not consider events in Los Angeles due to lack of space.

AEG CEO Tim Leiweke has said the company may ask the city for a contract to manage the entire convention center site, which would bring some 100,000 contiguous acres of downtown Los Angeles, including the AEG-owned Staples Center indoor arena and the LA Live complex, under the company's management.

Councilwoman Jan Perry, whose district includes the site and who chairs a special City Council committee tasked with vetting the plan, said AEG's proposed convention center configuration was preferable to the one envisioned by the 2001 deal that nestled the expansion within LA Live.

But she said the city should not surrender rights to the parcel ahead of schedule unless AEG offers a commensurate tangible benefit in return as part of negotiations.
at 9:57 PM

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