Thu, 26/11/2009
BBC iPlayer and ITV Player announce Freesat trials
The BBC iPlayer will be trialled to a select group of Freesat viewers from 7 December, the corporation has announced. Participants in the trial will initially require a code to access the BBC iPlayer but the service should be more freely available by Christmas. The trial is designed to work on Humax HD set top boxes, currently owned by one in three Freesat viewers. ITV Player will also launch in beta, or trial form, early in 2010.
BBC Online
Trying to Save the Web's Shortcuts
The Internet Archive and more than 20 Web companies are banding together to preserve the historical records of the abbreviated Internet addresses that are passed around on services such as Twitter. Services such as Bit.ly and TinyURL allow consumers to convert a lengthy Web address into a miniaturized one. They have soared in popularity in recent years with the advent of Twitter, which limits users to 140 characters per post. Shortened links are also used in emails, text messages and updates on social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.
Wall Street Journal
Wikileaks publishes 570,000 messages capturing chaos of 9/11
The mental and emotional storm that struck America on 11 September 2001 with the attacks on New York and Washington has been recreated with the release of more than half a million pager messages sent on that day. The whistleblowing website Wikileaks published the messages over a 24-hour period beginning on Tuesday at dawn, releasing them in batches in chronological order as if in real time. The massive archive includes thousands of messages from US officials including Pentagon workers and New York police, as well as members of the public from all over America, which together provide an insight into the initial chaos and confusion, followed by a dawning horror as 9/11 unfolded.
Guardian
The Internet Archive and more than 20 Web companies are banding together to preserve the historical records of the abbreviated Internet addresses that are passed around on services such as Twitter. Services such as Bit.ly and TinyURL allow consumers to convert a lengthy Web address into a miniaturized one. They have soared in popularity in recent years with the advent of Twitter, which limits users to 140 characters per post. Shortened links are also used in emails, text messages and updates on social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.
Wall Street Journal
Wikileaks publishes 570,000 messages capturing chaos of 9/11
The mental and emotional storm that struck America on 11 September 2001 with the attacks on New York and Washington has been recreated with the release of more than half a million pager messages sent on that day. The whistleblowing website Wikileaks published the messages over a 24-hour period beginning on Tuesday at dawn, releasing them in batches in chronological order as if in real time. The massive archive includes thousands of messages from US officials including Pentagon workers and New York police, as well as members of the public from all over America, which together provide an insight into the initial chaos and confusion, followed by a dawning horror as 9/11 unfolded.
Guardian
Google Turning Times Square Into A Giant Voice Search Experiment On Black Friday
There are few things more terrifying to me than the idea of going anywhere near a shopping establishment on Black Friday. But if I lived in New York City, I think I would this year because Google, Verizon, Reuters, and R/GA are teaming up to take over the largest displays on Times Square to allow for a giant Google Search by voice experiment/Droid advertisement. What does this mean? On Black Friday, anyone who calls 888-376-4336 and does a Google Search by voice, will see their results displayed on either the Reuters sign or the NASDAQ sign in Times Square. So, if you say something like “new Jonas Brothers CD,” the display will come up with a giant Google Map complete with signs showing you where you can find that.
Tech Crunch
Wikipedia 'loses' 49,000 editors
Online encyclopaedia Wikipedia "lost" 49,000 of its volunteer editors in the first three months of 2009, University research suggests. The figure compares with a loss of 4,900 over the same period in 2008. The encyclopaedia-style website encourages editorial changes from everybody who comes to the site. Wikimedia UK, a chapter of the organisation that operates Wikipedia, has denied that it means the site is struggling.
BBC Online
There are few things more terrifying to me than the idea of going anywhere near a shopping establishment on Black Friday. But if I lived in New York City, I think I would this year because Google, Verizon, Reuters, and R/GA are teaming up to take over the largest displays on Times Square to allow for a giant Google Search by voice experiment/Droid advertisement. What does this mean? On Black Friday, anyone who calls 888-376-4336 and does a Google Search by voice, will see their results displayed on either the Reuters sign or the NASDAQ sign in Times Square. So, if you say something like “new Jonas Brothers CD,” the display will come up with a giant Google Map complete with signs showing you where you can find that.
Tech Crunch
Wikipedia 'loses' 49,000 editors
Online encyclopaedia Wikipedia "lost" 49,000 of its volunteer editors in the first three months of 2009, University research suggests. The figure compares with a loss of 4,900 over the same period in 2008. The encyclopaedia-style website encourages editorial changes from everybody who comes to the site. Wikimedia UK, a chapter of the organisation that operates Wikipedia, has denied that it means the site is struggling.
BBC Online
Tesco Mobile to sell Apple's iPhone
Every little helps as supermarket giant hints at Apple handset for the masses in time for Christmas. Tesco Mobile has become the latest and one of the more unlikely mobile service providers to offer Apple's iPhone in the U.K. The supermarket giant announced on Wednesday plans to sell the handset via its Tesco Phone Shops and online through Tesco Direct. A spokeswoman was unable to confirm a release date for the iPhone, but told Total Telecom that Tesco Mobile is hoping to make it available in time for Christmas.
Total Telecom
Every little helps as supermarket giant hints at Apple handset for the masses in time for Christmas. Tesco Mobile has become the latest and one of the more unlikely mobile service providers to offer Apple's iPhone in the U.K. The supermarket giant announced on Wednesday plans to sell the handset via its Tesco Phone Shops and online through Tesco Direct. A spokeswoman was unable to confirm a release date for the iPhone, but told Total Telecom that Tesco Mobile is hoping to make it available in time for Christmas.
Total Telecom
