Number of Posts: 37
Posts 11 - 20
How to Protect Your Privacy as More Apps Harvest Your Data
Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 2.5.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | law, marketing, privacy, smartphone, threat
Summary | Many smartphone apps can be used for free, or rather one does not have to pay money to use it. However, if the app is not from a non-profit organization, users pay in some other way that may be obscure to them. Usually free for-profit apps collect data abou their users that they can sell to advertisers. The only way to protect oneself from this is to carefully read the terms and conditions, even if they are in legalese. If one does not like the level of privacy provided by an app, the only certain way to avoid data exploitation is not to download the app.
Image Description | Illustration of a hand holding a smartphone where eyes are hidden behind the app icons.
Image Tags | hand(s), smartphone
What Chatbots Reveal About Our Own Shortcomings
Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 24.4.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | artificial intelligence, marketing, misunderstanding, threat, Twitter
Summary | Artificial intelligence is the new big thing but it is mostly geared towards commercial services like ordering pizza, etc. Microsoft for instance proudly announced that their AI assistant can now even understand slang inputs. But this way of learning from actual users has shown to be risky when Microsoft released their AI robot Tay on Twitter and people trolled them by teaching Tay offensive things.
Image Description | Illustration and a GIF of smartphones typing.
Image Tags | gifs, smartphone, text
The Week in Tech: Facebook Live, a More Civil Reddit and Yahoo’s Odd Deal-Making
Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 9.4.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | censorship, cyberbullying, Facebook, marketing, politeness, Twitter
Summary | Reddit has for the first time in its existence enabled users to block other users from commenting. This enables censorship of less desirable opinions. Twitter landed the exclusive deal to live stream a football game on their platform, a deal Facebook was initially after since they are better known for their LiveStream service than Twitter. This is a high-profile marketing campaign for Twitter. Also, Yahoo is trying to sell itself.
Image Description | An image of a smartphone showing a livestreamed interview.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone
Justice Dept. calls Apple's encryption fight 'a diversion'
Newspaper | Washington Post
Date | 10.3.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | law, marketing, privacy, smartphone, threat
Summary | Ever since the FBI asked Apple to unlock a terrorist's iPhone, a huge debate around user privacy has ensued. Other tech companies side with Apple with the position that aiding the FBI at the expense of user privacy would open the gate for masses of future cases. The Justice Department however accuses Apple of purposefully making unbreachable smartphones, which may be good for user privacy (and thus for profit) but a huge problem for the police to be able to investigate criminal cases.
Image Description | Hand holding an iPhone.
Image Tags | hand(s), smartphone
Free Tools to Keep Those Creepy Online Ads From Watching You
Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 18.2.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | marketing, privacy, threat
Summary | Many companies track potential customers' internet activity so that they find out when someone, for instance, has the flu and will likely respond to flu medication advertisements. They collect data about all users when they visit a tracking website and then tailor advertising to specific target groups. This is a violation of our privacy because this process is very obscure and it is difficult to protect oneself from it but there are a few softwares one can get to stop companies from tracking one's online activity.
Image Description | Hands typing on a laptop keyboard.
Image Tags | computer/laptop, hand(s)
The rise of Uber means less love for London’s traditional black cabs
Newspaper | Washington Post
Date | 1.1.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | marketing, smartphone, threat
Summary | The app Uber is taking up much of official taxi companies' business. The iconinc London cab is endangered. Uber offers much cheaper rides than taxi cabs because the drivers do not have to go through any training - they just use their smartphone's GPS to drive customers. Customers also use their smartphone apps to hail an Uber ride.
Image Description | N/A
Gaming the System: Bots Inflate Instagram Egos
Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 7.6.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | Instagram, marketing
Summary | The author of the article posted a picture of the New York Times headquarters on Instagram, and got 11 comments from strangers, and none of them is related to the author. There is big marketing reason behind those comments; if a user follows or likes a public account's post, those accounts can in return use their automated liking and commenting. This is a marketing tactic used by companies in hopes that random Instagram users will like those automated public accounts in return. Small businesses want to have a lot of likes and followers in order to get some attention. However, the follower count is not representative of true following or of the work done by the business.
Image Description | N/A
Major Banks Team Up On Network That Allows Instant Digital Payments
Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 13.6.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | marketing
Summary | Major American banks are ready to introduce Zelle, a new app that allows customers to transfer money. But Zelle is already facing competition with other apps such as Venmo. Zelle actually has some advantages: big banks have teamed up behind Zelle for marketing reasons. Also, Zelle will be fast (faster than Venmo), ubiquitous, and free. Customers who would like to send money to other people need their phone number or email address. If their recipient's bank is part of Zelle's network of banks, they can make the transfer.
Image Description | N/A
An App for Our Inner Cheapskate
Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 23.7.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | marketing, privacy, social media
Summary | The app Venmo is a payment service app that allows money transfers between people who have their bank accounts connected to their phone. Margaret Pennoyer is an elementary school teacher who had to pay the organizers of a bachelorette party $31.98 and $20.62. The fact that the amount was calculated to the penny surprised Pennoyer. She said that this app ''changes friendships and makes them more transactional''. The app also promotes the "everyone for themselves" idea. People seem to be less generous now; everyone has to pay exactly to the cent. Venmo is also like any other social networks; you can see what other people's transactions are. For instance, Margaret Pennoyer saw through the app that her cousins socialized recently and didn't invite her.
Image Description | N/A
Little Expressions on the Big Screen
Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 28.7.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | emojis, marketing
Summary | The Emoji movie tells the story of a "meh" emoji named Gene who can express more emotions than just the blasé feeling. The emoji leader wants to get rid of Gene because of his versatility. The movie is idiotic, and shows that Hollywood still thinks that the idiotic can seem less so just by hiring famous actors and by polishing it up a little.
Image Description | N/A
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