Bigmouthmedia Search Engine News: Main Headlines

EU car sales hit 17 year low

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:37:00 GMT

Recently released figures have revealed 2012 was the worst year for car manufacturers in the European Union since 1995.

New car registrations fell 8.2 per cent in 12 months, with the UK the only major market that experienced any growth.

The reluctance of motorists and car insurance policy holders to invest in new vehicles was most prominent in December, helping to round of a disappointing year for the industry.

A spokesman for the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, the body who released the figures, told BBC News that, "In December, new car registrations declined by a sharp 16.3 per cent in the EU, continuing a downward trend commenced 15 months ago.

"The decline is the steepest recorded in a month of December since 2008."

In total 12.05 million new cars were registered across the EU's 27 member states, with only 799,407 being sold in December.

The car market in Europe has been hit by problems of overcapacity in recent years, whilst the continuing economic uncertainty and stagnant wages have discouraged motorists from buying new cars. The vast majority of incentives offered by governments following the 2008 financial crash have now ended, worsening the situation and causing a sharper drop in purchases.

Germany, the continent's largest economy, saw a 2.9 per cent fall in sales compared with 2011 despite it being one of the world's largest car producers. Italy, France and Spain all suffered double digit declines in vehicle registrations, with sales falling 19.9 per cent, 13.9 per cent and 13.4 per cent respectively.

Greece endured the worst 2012 of all the European countries however; experiencing sales levels 40.1 per cent down on the preceding 12 months.

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Twitter offers photo-sharing and editing tool

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:49:00 GMT

Twitter has added a photo sharing and photo editing feature to its mobile service, similar to those of Instagram.

Instagram stopped users from displaying images on Twitter over the weekend, and now Twitter is giving users the opportunity to edit and enhance images with artistic filters straight from the micro-blogging site itself.

In an announcement on the Twitter blog, Coleen Baik said: "Every day, millions of people come to Twitter to connect with the things they care about and find out what's happening around the world. As one of the most compelling forms of self-expression, photos have long been an important part of these experiences.

"Starting today, you'll be able to edit and refine your photos, right from Twitter. The latest versions of Twitter for iPhone and Twitter for Android introduce a few new ways to enhance the images you tweet."

Last weekend Instagram - which was bought by Facebook in April 2012 - made it impossible to share pictures directly in a tweet. Instead images are shared by users clicking a link through to the Instagram site, a move which the picture sharing company's chief executive Kevin Systrom said was to encourage users to visit the site.

"[Users can] engage with Instagram content through likes, comments and hashtags," Systrom told the BBC. "Now we believe the best experience is for us to link back to where the content lives."

Mark Little, principal analyst at Ovum told the BBC the move was likely about "potential eyeballs for advertising revenues.

"It's all about holding on to users, preventing them from spending too much time on rival social networks."

"So it's interesting that this partnership that built up in the earlier days and benefited both parties was never permanent - because once they gain enough benefits from each other it becomes more like rivalry.

"The next step is to get enough subscribers and to monetise them, to start defending their ecosystem from the past partners to stop themselves from losing users."

Web application suite Aviary will now power the filtering and enhancing effects on Twitter.

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Yahoo Mail revamp for smartphones and tablets

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:36:00 GMT

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer continues her drive to make the internet giant a key player in the mobile market, and now Yahoo has launched new versions of Yahoo Mail for smartphones and tablets, plus a newly revamped version of its mail service for computer users.

"You've told us loud and clear that you want fewer distractions when it comes to email. You want to quickly login, communicate, and get on with your day," Mayer announced via the Yahoo blog. "Starting today, the new Yahoo! Mail is fast, easy and available anywhere you go. These improvements will be available on all major platforms: Web, Windows 8, iPhone/iPod touch and Android."

While Yahoo Mail remains the leading web mail service in the United States - and third in the world behind Google and Hotmail - user numbers are steadily declining. User numbers in November declined by 16 per cent in the US, and 7 per cent worldwide, and researchers say this could be due to younger generations favouring text message as a means of communication.

"Most of the new users, especially young ones, are using mobile Internet devices. So the first order of things is to make sure there are native experiences for them," Vivek Sharma, General Manager of Yahoo Mail & Messenger told the Telegraph.

The latest announcement is part of Mayer's bid to gear Yahoo toward a more coherent mobile strategy. The revamp to Yahoo Mail will see an email app for the iPhone released and an updated version of the existing Android app, plus an email app specifically for tablets and PCs based on the Windows 8 OS.

Recently Yahoo also announced the acquisition of mobile video chat start up OnTheAir.

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Google Zeitgeist reveals most searched terms

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 07:25:00 GMT

Google's Zeitgeist list of the year has been released to reveal the top search terms of 2012.

The 2012 top search terms included Whitney Houston, the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, April Jones, who went missing in October, and most popular YouTube video of all time, Gangnam Style.

Zeitgeist gauges what is on the mind of the population, by monitoring the most popular or fastest growing search terms. The top ten list includes sport, celebrities, the royal family, viral videos and Apple product launches among others. The Euro 2012 and London Olympic Games were the fastest growing search terms of the year and Whitney Houston, who died in February is at number, followed by Kate Middleton at number 2.

"To many people it is, though it's outside institutional society, politics and foreign affairs," Oxford Internet Institute representative Dr Grant Black told the Guardian, expressing concerns over popular culture.

"Popular culture is a way for people to be connected to larger society, to something bigger than they are, and it's easier to connect to a person than to something more abstract."

Also in the top ten are Netflix, the on demand video site, the iPad 3, Korean pop song Gangnam Style which reached 1bn views on YouTube and Gary Barlow. Andy Murray, Jessica Ennis and Tom Daley were the top 3 most search for Olympians along with Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Roger Federer who also made the list.

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Clegg criticises Draft Communications Data Bill

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 07:24:00 GMT

Nick Clegg has announced that the Draft Communications Data Bill needs a "fundamental rethink" following pans to give intelligence services access to all internet user activity in the UK.

The Deputy Prime Minister has said he would block the Draft Communications Data Bill which he says cannot proceed, with plans to ensure a balance between freedom of information and security.

The news comes following an MP committee meeting whereby the bill was criticised after the Home Office suggested the move must be taken to prevent terrorism.

Under these plans, internet providers can store all online communication details in the UK, giving external sources access to data such as time, duration, originator and recipient of communication. Police would not have to seek any further access to gain this information but would need a warrant to see the content of any personal messages.

"It is for those reasons that I believe the coalition government needs to have a fundamental rethink about this legislation. We cannot proceed with this bill and we have to go back to the drawing board," Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg told the BBC.

"The committee did not, however, suggest that nothing needs to be done. They were very clear that there is a problem that must be addressed to give law enforcement agencies the powers they need to fight crime. I agree.

"But that must be done in a proportionate way that gets the balance between security and liberty right."

Home Secretary Theresa May has argued that the bill is vital for keeping watch over paedophiles, frauds and extremists, but ministers have warned that this could lead to "potentially limitless categories of data" unless the bill is amended.

MP's argued that the bill is "insufficient attention to the duty to respect the right to privacy" and went "much further than it need or should for the purpose of providing necessary and justifiable official access to communications data."

Theresa May would like the bill in place by next year.

"This legislation is vital to help catch paedophiles, terrorists and other serious criminals and we are pleased both scrutiny committees have recognised the need for new laws," a Home Office Spokesperson told the BBC.

"We have now considered the committees' recommendations carefully and we will accept the substance of them all. But there can be no delay to this legislation. It is needed by law enforcement agencies now."

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Police warning over Apple iOS 6 Maps

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 07:12:00 GMT

Australian police have issued a public warning after six people had to be rescued in two months due to an Apple iOS Maps error.

Instead of directing users to Mildura, Apple iOS 6 Maps sent them some 40 miles into deserted territory where temperatures reach around 46C, an error they say could be potentially dangerous.

"Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception," the Victoria police force said on its official web site.

Police said they have contacted Apple regarding the issue advising travellers to use other mapping tools until the problem is rectified.

Apple released the Maps software earlier this year after dropping Google Maps which had been connected to iPhone and iPad technology since its launch in 2007. It didn't take long for users to point out that many errors had occurred with the application such as landmarks appearing in the sea and towns and stations completely missed by its tracking controls.

"While we're improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app," Apple's chief executive Tim Cook told the Telegraph after being forced to issue an apology.

The tech giant encourages users to continue to point out any errors they notice with the software to avoid any future problems.

The news comes following Apple's announcement of the resignation of iOS software developer Scott Forstall in 2013.

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Young people use internet to check spelling and grammar

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 06:48:00 GMT

People aged 18- 24 are more likely to judge grammar and spelling online according to a recent survey.

The survey, conducted by computer firm IBM shows that 40 per cent of young people are influenced by poor spelling or grammar compared with the 35 per cent of older people who took part.

Young adults are twice as likely to use social media for research than those aged 35- 44, and 18 per cent of those aged 18-24 said they would consult friends via Twitter or Facebook for advice when buying a house or a car. Only one per cent of over 55s agreed.

62 per cent of 2000 people asked said social media has made decision making much easier than it was five years ago. The study also found radio and television are five times more likely to be influential to consumers when it came to large purchases. 11 per cent said they would use radio or television when making a decision about buying a house, compared with 62 per cent who would contact friends and family, and 64 per cent who said they would use online review sites.

"This research shows that, rather than struggling to deal with information overload, modern consumers are proactively using the abundance of data sources available to them to be more savvy about the decisions they make," consumer analytics expert at IBM Vivian Braun told the Telegraph.

"In particular, the upcoming generation of consumers are very comfortable with jumping between multiple sites and forums, polling opinion and cross-referencing information to research everything from their latest music download to their next job."

Nearly one third of parents consult parenting websites before choosing a school for their children. 39 per cent of 25- 24 year olds said they would use a site like Mumsnet before making the decision.

"Ultimately, as consumers get more analytical, so must the companies and organisations they interact with," Braun concluded.

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Social media has grown up

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 06:37:00 GMT

A new study has declared that social networks are no longer in their infancy and have graduated to a new phase of development.

The research by Nielsen and NM Incite found people are now spending more time on social media than any other category of online sites.

Facebook remains the most popular social network, with 152.2 million people accessing it every day on their PC and a further 78.4 million and 74.3 million logging on through mobile apps and browsers respectively.

According to the report, desktop users now spend 20 per cent of their time online on a social network whilst it accounts for 30 per cent of mobile consumer's time. This equated to 121 billion minutes in July 2012, a rise of 33 billion minutes compared with the same month a year ago.

The research found Pinterest had the most successful 2012 of the newer social media networks, with it experiencing the largest growth in the time users spent on the site along with a 1047 per cent rise in the number of unique audience visits it received each month.

The researchers behind the report believe mobile devices are going to play an important role in social media's future, stating that, "The recent proliferation of mobile devices and connectivity helped fuel the continued growth of social media.

"While the computer remains as the predominant device for social media access, consumers' time spent with social media on mobile apps and the mobile web has increased 63 per cent in 2012, compared to the same period last year."

In total the amount of people accessing all social media via a mobile device almost doubled in 2012, with 85.5 million using an app and 81.1 million using a browser.

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Instagram ends Twitter integration

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 06:25:00 GMT

Photo sharing app Instagram has ended its image integration feature with Twitter.

The company, which is now owned by Facebook, has disabled the ability of its photos to be seen in full size on the social network, although cropped versions can still be uploaded.

The move marks a further heightening of tensions in the social media industry, with both Facebook and Twitter competing for lucrative advertising revenues and users.

Instagram founder and chief executive Kevin Systrom explained the decision to The Denver Post, saying, "A handful of months ago, we supported Twitter cards because we had a minimal Web presence.

"We've since launched several improvements to our website that allow users to directly engage with Instagram content through likes, comments, hashtags and now we believe the best experience is for us to link back to where the content lives."

The ending of direct sharing means that Twitter users will now have to click through to Instagram's own site in order to view their selected image in its correct format. It marks the end of a previously harmonious relationship, with the firm now tightening its relationship with Facebook.

Instagram launched its own web portal and online pages last month, with the photo sharing service attempting to move away from its previous mobile-only position. Facebook also recently altered its data sharing rules so that information collected on Instagram could be shared with the social network to help improve the relevance of its ads for users.

It has already emerged that Twitter is currently developing its own photo sharing app to replace the service that Instagram previously provided.

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Netflix seals Disney deal

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 06:12:00 GMT

On-demand internet streaming company Netflix have sealed a deal with Disney, to show the studio's latest film releases soon after they've hit the cinema screens.

Starting in 2016, Netflix users in America will be able to watch the latest Disney movies shortly after their cinema run and the deal will also include releases from Marvel and Pixar Animations which are both owned by the mass media corporation. Following the announcement, Netflix share prices rose by 14 per cent.

"It's a bold leap forward for internet television and we are incredibly pleased and proud this iconic family brand is teaming with Netflix to make it happen," Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix, told the BBC. "This deal brings to our subscribers some of the highest quality, most imaginative family films being made today. It's a leap forward for Internet television."

First-run rights for Disney films are currently held by US subscription channel Starz, which also has the rights to Sony studio releases. Netflix has also acquired the rights to show Dreamworks productions, and the deal will begin during 2013.

Recently it was announced Disney is to purchase the Star Wars franchise from George Lucas, and under the new deal Netflix will be able to show the second and third instalment of the new trilogy.

"An exclusive deal with Disney differentiates the Netflix content from Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video," Anthony DiClemente, an analyst with Barclays Capital, told Reuters.

However, some analysts have voiced concerns Netflix cannot afford the deal, and reports indicate the figure could look something like $350 million per year.

"We would not be surprised if (Netflix) would need to raise capital," Tony Wible, an analyst from Janney Montgomery Scott, also told Reuters.

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Yahoo acquire tiny video-chat startup OnTheAir

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 06:01:00 GMT

Internet giant Yahoo has acquired a tiny San-Francisco based startup company called OnTheAir. The five-person company specialises in mobile video chat, and will join Yahoo's existing mobile division which includes another mobile startup, Stamped.

The acquisition was announced on the OnTheAir web site, and a spokesperson for the company wrote: "While we haven't yet attained our dream of building a widespread daily use product, we are just as committed to it. And this is why we're so excited to be joining Yahoo!

"When we first met with the team at Yahoo, it was clear that everybody there is committed to making mobile products the backbone for the world's daily habits."

OnTheAir currently lets users conduct video calls in a talk show type format, where one person can MC and invite other speakers one by one, displaying them next to the MC. It remains undisclosed whether the service will be discontinued - as was the case with Stamped - and financial details of the acquisition have not been revealed.

Still hoping to turn around the web giant's flagging fortunes, recently appointed CEO Marissa Mayer has made mobile a priority for Yahoo.

"Our top priority is a focused, coherent mobile strategy," Mayer said during a quarterly earnings conference call, and added that she wants the company to focus on the tablet and mobile market, working towards half of Yahoo's work force one day working on mobile.

"Hiring the most talented mobile product thinkers and engineers is a big priority for us moving forward," Adam Cahan, Yahoo's senior vice president of emerging products and technology, told CNET.

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