Australians Addicted to Mobile Devices

Blogger and ABC contributor Peter Ryan has a superneat post on a new report confirming what most of us  already knew: Australians are addicted to their smartphones. The survey of smartphone users by tech behemoth Cisco reveals that the daily ritual for Gen Y Aussies kicks off with a quick txt.

Many of the survey participants admitted that they checked for messages, emails and updates at least twice an hour, many becoming anxious when their phone goes astray.

Kevin Bloch isn’t alone, our favourite news agency – Reuters – has an ubercool post on our latest addiction, Social Media.

Social media is now apparently a recognised addiction, a study undertaken last year by the University of Chicago found that Liking and Tweeting can be even more addictive than cigarettes or alcohol. The research showed that social networking sites gave users a burst of the addictive neurotransmitter dopamine. Check the Reuters Video :: Read the full article »»»»

Facebooks Downward Spiral

The social media behemoth that is Facebook, has reported a sharp drop in profits. The news has prompted a fresh, vigorous decline in the share price of the world’s biggest social network.

The company says the drop in profit is partly due to increased spending on research and development, the market it seems, isn’t buying the rhetoric.

Facebook made a profit nudging $60 million in the final three months of 2012, compared with nearly $300 million twelve months earlier.

The less than impressive results triggered a 5 per cent slide in Facebook shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

Facebook Hits One Billion Users

Facebook reckons it now has more than one billion users, serious bragging rights by anyone’s standard.

However, some analysts still have serious worries about how the social network site can make money from members.

Co-founder and Head Honcho Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement yesterday, saying the number is “humbling”.

“This morning, there are more than one billion people using Facebook actively each month,” Zuckerberg said in a statement. ”Helping a billion people connect is amazing, humbling and by far the thing I am most proud of in my life.”

The social network site reached one billion monthly active users on September 14, according to Zuckerberg. The wizbang number is slightly lower but equally as impressive,  according to Zuckerberg Facebook has 600 million mobile users :: Read the full article »»»»

UPDATED: News Limited Shakes It ALL Up

Australia’s media landscape has been through the ringer over the past few weeks, the ground is changing at a pace not seen since the eighties. The latest shake-up comes from the ever stoic News Limited – the Australian arm of News Corporation – the company has announced a massive restructuring of the way it delivers news.

The announcement on last week, which included job cuts and a reduction in east coast operations from 19 divisions to five, came days after Fairfax Media outlined plans to axe 1,900 staff, move jobs offshore, close two major printing presses and downsize its flagship newspapers to tabloids, as well as it’s ongoing boardroom battles with billionaire Gina Rinehart.

Despite the cuts, News Limited CEO Kim Williams has told staff that the organisation remains committed to print :: Read the full article »»»»

FACEBOOK BUYS INSTAGRAM FOR $US1 BILLION

That other internet behemoth – Facebook – has announced a $US1 billion deal to buy popular smartphone photo-sharing app Instagram. The big ticket purchase was seen by some as a move by Facebook to strengthen its defences against Google and newcomer Pinterest in the weeks ahead of what promises to be a history-making stock market debut.

“For years, we’ve focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family,” Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said in announcing the deal. ”Now, we’ll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.”

Zuckerberg called the acquisition “an important milestone for Facebook because it’s the first time we’ve ever acquired a product and company with so many users” Read the full article »»»»

World Wild Web: Tajikistan Blocks Facebook

The Republic of Tajikistan has blocked local access to Facebook and two Russian-language sites that published an article critical of its long-serving president -Emomalii Rahmon. The shutdown was ordered by the state-run communications service, the local Internet providers told Reuters, requesting anonymity. Users who tried to access Facebook or the two websites, which published a story critical of President Imomali Rakhmon, were automatically re-directed to the home page of their provider.

Freedom of the press is officially guaranteed by the government, although independent press outlets remain restricted, as does a substantial amount of web content. According to the Institute for War & Peace Reporting, access is blocked to local and foreign websites including avesta.tj, tjknews.com, ferghana.ru and centrasia.ru and journalists are often obstructed from reporting on controversial events. In practice, no public criticism of the regime is tolerated and all direct protest is severely suppressed and does not get reported in the local media. Read the full article »»»»