Technology Newsletter
4 April 2008

Welcome

Welcome to another edition of the Prompt newsletter.

In an exciting week at Prompt, we unveiled the results of a study into brands and blogging in Britain. The report makes for fascinating reading and is well worth downloading.

Of course, this week we also had to contend with April Fools Day. Zach rounds up the best online gags of 2008, but rest assured all our news stories this week are April Fool Free.

We think.

So please enjoy the newsletter, the Blogs & Brands report, and why not complete the set by also enjoying our own blog.

Hazel Butters, CEO - Prompt Communications

Technology News

New Prompt study provides insight into the blogosphere

By Duncan Heaney

A new Prompt Communications study has just been published, turning up some fascinating results. The study, ‘Blogs and Brands: A Study of the British Blogosphere’, was conducted over December 2007 and January 2008 and provides an interesting snapshot of the British mindset at that time and the brands that informed that mindset.

We examined 100 UK-based personal blogs to see which brands resonated most with the public and also how bloggers relate to the commercial world around them. Although some of the brands Prompt noted people writing about were reasonably predictable, we did uncover a few surprises. Apple and iPods were regularly blogged about, as was the BBC, but who would have expected Marks and Spencer to get more blog action than major supermarkets like Tesco? Especially at Christmas.

A diverse range of brands were posted on blogs in the time period, such as Cadburys, Nintendo, Doctor Who, IKEA, and TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. What is particularly interesting is that the stereotype of a blog as the domain of the lonely, male geek is increasingly irrelevant. The blogs featured in the report actually represented a variety of ages with an almost 50:50 gender split.

The full report is available for download at our website, and is to be featured in a number of notable publications, including Brand Republic.

The Internet is driving us mad

By Dave Wilby

According to the American Journal of Psychiatry, if the last thing you do at night is finish a tricky page of HTML, an argument in an online forum, a chat on MSN, an iTunes download or a fight with a particularly irksome orc, then you’re almost certainly suffering from a psychiatric disorder. But you knew that, didn’t you.

Psychiatrist Jerald Block believes internet addiction (characterised by “excessive use of the internet, anger or depression if access is lost, poor achievement and social isolation”) should be included in ‘DSM’, the US handbook of recognised psychiatric conditions.

As if to prove the point, you’ll have to buy the print version of NewScientist to get the full lowdown on this story. The website only includes a small fix, certainly not enough for the average internet addict to binge on.

Apprentice UK Quote of the Week

"For the entire process that I’ve been working with both of you, it has felt like I’ve had to breastfeed you."

Jennie lets fly in the board meeting. Sir Alan looks horrified.

US Media News

By Tarryn Morley

Paul Barrett is rejoining BusinessWeek in his previous role as assistant managing editor for investigative projects. Barrett quit BusinessWeek to join the Wall Street Journal in January. Prior to leaving BusinessWeek, Barrett edited a number of award winning articles in 2007.

CMP has been split into four independent media and information services divisions within United Business Media. TechWeb will publish InformationWeek and technology titles. Everything Channel will publish CRN, VARBusiness and the ChannelWeb Network. TechInsights will publish EETimes and electronics magazines. Think Services will publish Dr. Dobb's Journal and other educational, training, and gaming titles.

Network World has launched a new blog by John Cox, senior editor of infrastructure at the publication. John Cox's blog covers wireless LANs, including equipment, chip technologies, administration, security, Bluetooth, mobile computing, radio issues and relevant standards.

National Journal Group recently launched a spin-off of GovernmentExecutive.com titled NextGov, a website focused on how technology influences government actions. NextGov covers the management of IT processes within the US federal government and various other organisations. The site provides news, research and interaction for government and contractor officials.

UK Media News

By Tarryn Morley

The Times is undergoing a major restructuring of its news desk under new editor James Harding. Former foreign editor Roland Watson has been appointed to the new integrated post of head of news, across print and online. Martin Barrow, the former foreign news editor, has replaced John Wellman as home editor. Wellman is now deputy head of news.

The Wall Street Journal US edition will be available in the UK alongside The Wall Street Journal Europe from 16^th April. The WSJ US edition will be sold for £2.50 in central London on the morning of publication, which gives London readers access to the newspaper before it goes on sale in the US. The US edition will also be available for early morning delivery in central London to individual and corporate subscribers.

The Telegraph has expanded its multimedia range of products with the launch of The Business Bullet on Telegraph TV. The show will be presented by veteran financial news broadcaster Robert Miller and will be broadcast daily at 8:30 am and at noon on the Telegraph TV website.

Richard Preston, assistant editor at The Daily Telegraph, will oversee the Saturday edition of newspaper while Michele Lavery, Saturday Daily Telegraph and magazine editor, is on maternity leave.

Tech Totals

Immigrant Addition

4,452 (5.6% of US staff) Number of foreign Microsoft employees living in the US on an H1-B work visa

416 (2.5%) Number of H1-B visas for Google

1 (.2%) Number of Facebook employees with H1-B visas.

New Crackberry is smokin’

By Dave Wilby

It doesn’t matter how much Blackberry manufacturer RIM shouts about its latest available Pearl 8120 model at the CTIA Wireless 2008 show. The only thing the true Crackberry addict is interested in is whether the latest rumours and images of the next-generation 9000 handset are genuine.

Engadget is convinced the Blackberry 9000 is well on its way to full production following the latest inside/outside leaked photos, and believes RIM’s makeover will be more than enough to satisfy the Blackberry’s legions of suited fans. The tech toy blog acknowledges a source on the BlackBerryForums who claims the device has no touch-screen, might use 3G and will probably handle HTML email.

We’re not convinced this is any more than tittle-tattle at this stage, but it certainly illustrates the consumer levels of interest now commanded by this business-class gadget.

Will they think of the children?

By Duncan Heaney

New research by Ofcom has revealed that more than a quarter of children aged 8-11 have a profile on a social networking site. Even though the major players in social networking - MySpace, Facebook and Bebo - all have age restrictions in place, many little ‘uns are still logging on, presumably to poke / hug / fling sheep at people.

The report, part of a wider literacy campaign, examines the impact of social media on UK citizen’s lives. Ofcom surveyed 5,000 adults and more than 3,000 children and discovered that 19% of young children had a presence on a social networking site, and in total 49% of people aged between eight and 17 had a profile. Many children (43%) claimed that their parents set no rules for them for use on social networks, and a significant number of adults (33%) said that they had not given their children rules.

There has been a lot of discussion recently about the vulnerabilities of children on the web. The Byron Review also examined the risks the internet poses to kids. Ofcom urges parents to keep an eye on what their children are up to, and also believes the social networking sites need to act more responsibly. The BBC also reports that the Home Office is encouraging social networks to provide better support and protection for its users, such as age verification technology, improved signposting of privacy settings and letting people know the potential implications of releasing their personal details.

ISPs not ‘internet policemen’

By Duncan Heaney

The music industry has been putting pressure on internet service providers to help stop piracy, but the move hasn’t gone down too well. Charles Dunstone of Carphone Warehouse, owners of the TalkTalk broadband service is refusing to help the music biz, claiming that it isn’t his job to be an internet policeman.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the trade body for UK music, has requested that ISPs disconnect file sharers who ignore or refuse warnings to stop their nefarious activities, but Mr Dunstone and TalkTalk refuse. He says that the BPI’s demands are unreasonable and unworkable.

The BPI claims that ISPs need to do more to educate users not to pinch music and warns ISPs that if they do not cooperate, the government will bring in legislation that will force them to.

April Fools Day – were you fooled?

By Zachariah N. Hofer-Shall

As someone who constantly watches tech news looking for big announcements or cutting edge technology, I can't imagine a more frustrating day than 1^st April. It's been difficult to read anything online this week because everyone wanted to take advantage of April Fools' Day to throw around false information. Now that it’s over though, it's OK to reveal the best gags. First to strike was Google in Australia who announced "Google Future Search", a tool allowing surfers to find information 24 hours ahead. Google then followed up with Virgle, the "Open Source Planet", as well as the Google Wake Up Kit, Google Dream Ads, and the "New airplane" functionality of Google Docs. Not to be outdone by its parent company, YouTube Rickrolled the world by making all of the site's featured videos link to the same video. Former TechTV host Chris Pirillo ran a day full of joke posts, including why he is switching back to XP from OSX and "I hate the iPhone", not to mention his multiple Rickrolls from his newly invisible Twitter page that was "optimised for IE8". One of the best Windows Mobile sites, PocketPCThoughts.com had a full day of fake posts, from the New iPhone Running Windows Mobile, to the equally ironic: Windows Abandons Windows Mobile in Favour of Apple OS. Techcrunch posted about a fake lawsuit against Facebook for $25m (which was awkwardly posted a day early). One final April Fools gag was ThinkGeek’s reveal of a Betamax to HD-DVD Converter.

So yes, it’s been a difficult week for tech news.

Website of the week

By Sean McManus

Freerice

This website is a nice cut-and-shut of a word quiz and The Hunger Site. At the Hunger Site, you click to view adverts, and the revenue from advertisers goes towards food aid. Freerice builds on that concept by adding in a vocabulary test. For each word, you must choose one of four that most closely matches it. If you get three questions right in a row, you go up a level and the words become more obscure. Unobtrusive banner adverts are shown in each round, and viewing them generates a donation of 20 grains of rice. Why not try the site today and test your vocabulary while helping to relieve poverty at the same time?

We hope you find the Prompt Communications newsletter an interesting read. For any feedback on our newsletter, or to discuss how we can help you with your technology PR, marketing, social media/blogging initiatives, copywriting or surveys, please contact us using the details below. We are always delighted to hear from you.