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Death, Birth and Facebook

• Myspace is on its last legs or rather it has been for years now. Its just about time for it to teeter to its death after its 15 minutes of social world domination. Not even a complete makeover could stop its descent into obscurity. Attempting to develop into a social entertainment network still doesnt seem to be drawing the masses. Worth only a fraction of what it was a few years ago, it still is a valuable space and will probably be bought out where hopefully a cracking new idea will move it to its place.

• The birth of Google+ seems to have taken the world by storm. Certainly compared to Googles previous attempts to go social. Google+ already boasts over 20 million users after being available for a short trial period whereby invitations were sent out to join the rather exclusive social network. Privacy and security are becoming main concerns for people who are involved in social media mania and Google+ seems to give back that element of identity social media users were losing to their vast array of public avatars. This social network, while it didnt start off its conceptualisation with firm faith in its success seems to be the social network that could rival Facebook.
• Facebook on the other hand doesnt seem to agree and theyve got fair reason to feel safe and secure at the top of the social media mountain. Zuckerberg doesnt seem concerned by the potential threat Google+ presents. Our job is to stay focused, he said when asked at Facebooks video chat event in Palo Alto, California. Many of the features on Google+ that are their selling points are replicas of what Facebook already offers and to transfer all that kind of information is too much effort for most people. Facebook is likely to stay on top despite novelty rivalries.

Mobile Photo Sharing

The major advances in smartphone capabilities have led to an increased sharing capacity especially in photographs. Apps make it easy to upload photos straight from your phone onto social networks. Google+ has a feature that allows the social network to upload photos easily straight from their phone. Sharing of photos has so quickly become one of the top ways people share via mobile devices that a ranking and influence system has been created to track your influence of photos in social media. Mobile broadband subscriptions are expected to surpass one billion worldwide by 2013. This is a trend that marketers have already begun to take note of as this is certainly an area where people are participating.

Social networks will become more exclusive

Social network users will start looking around for more exclusive, niche networks to be a part of. Already sites like asmallworld.com have accommodated one of these niches. It iss invitation only and therefore promises quality and to the point networking, in this case with the highest ranking professionals and celebrities only. Privacy is another reason to veer away from the intensely public spaces of Twitter and Facebook. People are looking for a more realistic interaction on social networks and this means with people they actually know in real life, where they can be more of their natural identity and less of an avatar. The bottom line is that users are willing to pay for social network content as long as sites cater to specific market niches as opposed to broader, mainstream audiences, according to eMarketer.

Social media addiction

According to a Stanford University survey Apples smartphone can be addicting. There is an online website for the Blackberry obsessed called Crackberry.com. The future predicts a massive social problem with social networks and smartphones taking over peoples lives. Rehab for these addicts doesnt seem too far fetched… Here are some statistics.

The Stanford Survey asked students questions and this is the feedback they got:

Nearly 85 percent of the iPhone owners used the phone as their watch, and 89 percent used it as their alarm clock. In fact, 75 percent admitted to falling asleep with the iPhone in bed with them, and 69 percent said they were more likely to forget their wallet than their iPhone when leaving in the morning.

Many students readily acknowledge how much they rely on their iPhones. When asked to rank their dependence on the iPhone on a scale of one to five – five being addicted and one being not at all addicted – 10 percent of the students acknowledged full addiction to the device, 34 percent ranked themselves as a four on the scale, and only 6 percent said they werent addicted at all.

And among those who didnt consider themselves completely addicted, 32 percent expressed worry that they would become addicted someday.

Furthermore, 15 percent of those surveyed said the iPhone was turning them into a media addict; 30 percent called it a doorway into the world; 25 percent found the phone dangerously alluring and 41 percent said losing their iPhone would be a tragedy.

74 percent said the iPhone also made them feel cool.

Twitter and FaceBook:

• 48% of people check/update FaceBook and/or Twitter after they go to bed
• 18% of people under 25 years old cant go more than a couple hours without checking in on FaceBook
• 61% of people under 25 have to check in on FaceBook at least once a day
• 11% of people over 25 years old cant go more than a couple hours without checking in on FaceBook
• 55% of people over 25 have to check in on FaceBook at least once a day
• 16% of people under 25 years old rely on Twitter and/or FaceBook for the morning news

OSHKOSH, Wisc., July 25, 2011 ? The Goodyear Tire Rubber Company?s Aviation business is offering three chances to win a flight with acrobatic legends at this week?s 2011 EAA AirVenture Show in Oshkosh.

As part of Goodyear?s ?Flight Adventures,? three lucky winners will be chosen in drawings to be held throughout the week at the Goodyear booth, #B2131.

The first winner will ride with a member of the four-person Aeroshell Acrobatic team; the second winner will ride with acrobatic pilot JW ?Corkey? Fornof; and a third winner will be flown in a Beechcraft Baron while Red Bull air race pilots Kirby Chambliss and Michael Goulian perform stunts around the winner?s plane.

Goodyear is kicking off its ?Flight Adventures? drawings with an autograph session featuring the Aeroshell Acrobatic team at 2:30 pm Monday, July 25 in Booth #B2131. The day concludes with a drawing at 5:00 pm to determine the lucky winner of the ride with one member of this four-person team.

Participants can bring their autographed posters back on Wednesday for an autograph session with Corkey Fornof, a stunt pilot who has flown in over 80 different movies, television shows and videos. This session will be in Booth #B2131 at 10:30 am on Wednesday, July 27. At the end of the day, there will be a drawing for one contestant to win a ride with Corkey while at Oshkosh.

Finally, on Thursday, there will be autographs by two of Red Bull?s most famous pilots: Kirby Chambliss and Michael Goulian. Both of these amazing air race pilots will be at Goodyear?s Booth #B2131 at 9:00am Thursday, July 28 to sign posters. The lucky winner of this drawing receives a special flight adventure in a Baron while Goulian and Chambliss fly their death defying stunts around the plane.

?We are thrilled to provide these once-in-a-lifetime Flight Adventures,? said Eric Varndell, Global Marketing Manager for Goodyear Aviation. ?We hope everyone stops by our booth to enter for their chance to fly with these aviation legends.?

Best Western, Dell, Gatorade, Groupon, HBO, JetBlue, LivingSocial, Microsoft Xbox, Red Bull, Sephora, Starbucks, Summit Entertainments 50/50, TNT and Virgin America are among the companies trying out Twitters newest ad offering – Promoted Tweets To Followers. With it, advertisers can insert their ads directly in the timelines of those consumers that are following them on the Twitter.com site.

Clearly people access Twitter in a number of ways, thus diluting the impact of the offering. Still, though, this is a step forward for marketers eager to tap Twitter users, because as NextWeb notes, it is the first time that Twitter is injecting Promoted Tweets directly into the timeline.
Bottom line for the marketer: it can deliver an ad to a follower who has already indicated it is interested in the company while he or she is actually on the service.

Twitter is also testing the new offering with several non-profits and their followers. These include Make-A-Wish Foundation, Room to Read, The American Red Cross and Water.org.

Twitters Ad Products Come at Higher Cost

Another element in Twitter’s marketing ad products – Promoted Trends – is also gaining momentum with brands, enough so that Twitter has raised its rates, according to Twitter’s director of revenue Adam Bain, via ClickZ. The cost of a Promoted Trend on Twitter – the top Trend on the sidebar on Twitter.com – is now up to $120,000 per day.

When Promoted Trends first launched in April 2010 it had a $25-30,000 daily rate, All Twitter says. Bain reports that Twitter has worked with some 600 advertisers on 6,000 advertising campaigns, 80% of which came back and bought more placement. Its promotional tools are so popular now that the company has expanded its sales and marketing team to over 60 people across the country and it seeks a 3-month commitment from all advertisers.

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Families forced to evacuate their homes during last springs floods in Memphis, Tenn., and who suffered a tornado in Birmingham, Ala., counted on American Humane Associations Red Star- Animal Emergency Services to help their beloved pets until they could be reunited. In many cases, American Humane Associations Red Star program aided animals that became lost, disoriented, or fell into harms way as well.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101108/DC97343LOGO)

Now, a shelter in Memphis and a shelter in Birmingham have a unique way to bring attention to the needs of pets-to-be that are in their care, thanks to American Humane Association and Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation. These shelters each are giving away 25 pairs of tickets to screenings of the new movie The Smurfs to children who donate toys or supplies that can benefit cats in their care. The Smurfs opens in theaters everywhere on July 29, 2011.

Children who donate a homemade cat toy to the Greater Birmingham Humane Society on 300 Snow Drive from July 20 to July 26, 2011, will be entered for a drawing to win a pair of passes to the Thursday, July 28, preview showing of The Smurfs at the Rave Patton Creek cinema at 6:00 pm

Children who donated kitty litter, spray bottles, soaps or other much-needed cat supplies to the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County on 935 Farm Road from July 15 through July 22, 2011, were entered in a drawing to win a pair of passes to a preview showing of The Smurfs at the Malco Cordova cinema on Tuesday, July 26, at 6:00 pm

The Smurfs has been awarded American Humane Associations No Animals Were Harmed end-credit certification. The certification program involves the presence of American Humane Associations Certified Animal Safety Representatives- on the set of movies, television shows and commercials to monitor animal safety during filming. It is the only officially sanctioned program to keep movie and television animal actors safe on set.

When we learned of the hardships that families still endure after the recent floods and tornado that devastated parts of Memphis and Birmingham, we wanted to put a smile on the faces of kids there and help local shelters benefit animals at the same time, said Jone Bouman, director of communications for American Humane Associations Film and TV Unit. We thank Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation for supporting this great cause, and we encourage everyone to support their local shelters year-round.

American Humane Association has been the nations only voice for the protection of both children and animals since 1877, and the leader of most legislation, policy decisions, and cultural shifts that keep children and animals from harm. To learn more, visit www.americanhumane.org. To see the Red Star- Animal Emergency Services programs efforts in Memphis, click on Red Star.

The Smurfs make their first 3D trip to the big screen in Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animations hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their village, through a magical portal, and into our world, they land in the middle of New Yorks Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. Directed by Raja Gosnell. The producer is Jordan Kerner. The screenplay is by J. David Stem amp; David N. Weiss and Jay Scherick amp; David Ronn from a story by J. David Stem amp; David N. Weiss, based on the Characters and Works of Peyo.

SMURF, and all Smurfs characters Peyo. All Rights Reserved. Smurf and The Smurfs are registered trademarks of STUDIO PEYO.

About the Smurfs

The story of the Smurfs – a property created by Peyo – started in 1958 with the creation of comic books which were later brought to both the big and small screen. Over the years, the little blue characters havent just limited themselves to the page and the screen. They have inspired records and CDs that have sold millions of copies, entire collections of figurines and toys, and many more products. In all, more than 3,000 derived products have been produced and leading brands and companies have spread their messages worldwide with the help of the Smurfs. A multitude of new projects appear regularly, thus making the success of the Smurfs planetary!

About Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPEs global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 140 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

About Sony Pictures Animation

Sony Pictures Animation produces a variety of animated entertainment for audiences around the world. The studio is following its 2009 worldwide hit, the mouth-watering 3D comedy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and the 2007 Academy Award -nominated Surfs Up with a full slate of feature films including the live-action/animation hybrid film The Smurfs (3D) and the family comedy, Hotel Transylvania (3D). The division is also in production with Aardman Animations on two feature films, the CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas (3D) and the stop-frame animated high-seas adventure, The Pirates! Band of Misfits (3D). Open Season 3, the third adventure in Sony Pictures Animations successful Open Season franchise, was released on DVD and Blu-Ray January 2011. Sony Pictures Animation is an operating unit of Sony Pictures Digital Productions.

About Lafig Belgium SA

Lafig Belgium is the owner of the rights to produce audio-visual works based on the Smurf universe and of the Smurf worldwide licensing rights (together with IMPS). Lafig Belgium is controlled by the heirs of Pierre Culliford, better known under his pseudonym Peyo, the author/creator of the Smurfs. For 50 years, the Culliford family has controlled the Smurf characters and all licenses worldwide.

SOURCE American Humane Association

Copyright 2010 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved

• Opinion

Tech Trends: How to Opt Out of the Latest Facial Recognition Software

Facebook touts customized privacy settings, but some military members steer clear of the social platform altogether.

Colorado ranks 14th among the states in its percentage of increase in leisure, hospitality and tourism jobs over the last five years, according to an analysis of federal employment data.

The analysis is by G. Scott Thomas, who writes the “On Numbers” blog on economic statistics for The Business Journals, the national news affiliate of the Denver Business Journal.

Between June 2006 and June 2011, Colorado gained 13,600 jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector, a 5.14 percent increase, Thomas calculates. The state gained leisure jobs in four of the last five years, and now has 13,600 jobs in the sector.

Included in the total are jobs with hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, casinos, museums, performing arts companies and professional sports teams. Thomas relied on US Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Over the five-year period, the greatest increase in leisure jobs percentagewise was in North Dakota (up 15.61 percent), followed by Texas (up 10.34 percent) and New York (up 9.89 percent). The biggest declines were in Michigan (down 7.63 percent), Hawaii (down 6.95 percent) and Nevada (down 5.46 percent).

In terms of whole numbers of leisure jobs not adjusted for the size of each state’s sector, Texas saw the greatest five-year increase, up 97,100 jobs. Colorado ranks seventh in that category. Overall, 34 states and the District of Columbia have picked up leisure jobs since mid-2006.

Colorado’s five-year increase is despite the fact that the Denver metro area lost 2,900 leisure and hospitality jobs between April 2008 and April 2011, Thomas reported last month.

Below is a searchable database of leisure job trends by state as compiled by Thomas. And click here for Thomas national report.

With tonights episode, Eureka launches a long storyline about a space mission. The shows focus on space exploration started with Fargos recent impromptu space voyage and it came right after the final Space Shuttle Mission.

We talked to producer Jaime Paglia about how Eureka is emphasizing a can do spirit of space exploration at a time when America is feeling less sanguine. And we learned what to expect from the rest of season four. Spoilers ahead…

The timing was kind of nuts, Paglia tells us. We actually premiered our episode a week before the final Shuttle launch… I think there was a little bit of the planets aligning for us.

The fact that Eureka started sending its characters into space, and planning a huge space mission, right after the final Shuttle launch was just a huge coincidence, Paglia says. Another coincidence: Eurekas music composer, Bear McCreary, was asked to do the music for the final Shuttle mission, so the two events share a common musical feel as well.

Eureka is about dreaming big, and proving that there are endless possibilities, says Paglia, and this new space mission storyline underscores that.

When we caught up with Paglia at the Syfy/E! party at Comic-Con the other night, he told us that the show would never abandon the alternate timeline, because were so inspired by the changes that have happened…. to press a button and undo it, and it never really mattered, we wouldnt want to do it. The network had some trepidation about the idea of not going back, they got on board. And the audience response has been great. Among other things, the alternate timeline has created some really fascinating romantic relationships for the characters.

Addison, Vermont – July 26, 2011

Two wanted felons are on the loose in Addison. They have drugs and cash and no desire to be caught by Vermont State Police. But theyre no match for the K-9 team.

State Police K-9 Unit! Trooper Wayne Godfrey yells at the door of a barn that K-9 Mitch has led the team to. Come out now or you will get bit! This is your last chance!

From inside, a sound: Alright man, dont bite me!

As Trooper Bob Giolito and K-9 Mitch keep watch, the suspect slowly walks out of the building with his hands up, gets down on his knees and then on his stomach, ready to be cuffed.

But on closer look, the suspect appears to be wearing police officers clothing. Thats because he is, in fact, a police officer and this entire scenario is part of an elaborate training drill for the K-9 teams, one which is only performed four times a year.

Vermonts 18 K-9 officers use this quarterly scenario-based training to keep all their skills sharp, from tracking and apprehending suspects to sniffing out bombs and drugs.

Thats the task first assigned to K-9 Drager and his handler, Trooper Richard Slusser. Once the suspect surrendered, police searched him and found no drugs. That led them to determine the drugs were hidden somewhere in the barn. Drager combs the barn, sniffing high and low, barking when he smells drugs.

He was able to locate 108 grams of marijuana in a high find, Trooper Justin Busby says, holding up a bag Drager found perched atop a wire cage.

In addition to the marijuana, K-9 Drager located 25 grams of cocaine, $460 in cash, 78 grams of ecstasy, 50 bags of heroin and 40 grams of crystal methamphetamine. All of the drugs used in these drills were obtained during busts and arrests.

State police say these drills are crucial exercises because the skills the dogs are practicing are being put to use more and more every day. Thats because the number of cases that K-9s are called out on is growing.

The reality is were dealing with more crime scenes, says Lt. Gary Genova, who leads the K-9 teams. Were dealing with cases that require the use of cadaver dogs more frequently.

To meet that need, state police recently obtained two new dogs that are specially trained to detect human remains. Theyre currently at work on the case of missing Essex couple Bill and Lorraine Currier, who havent been seen since June 8.

For K-9s and their handlers every day presents possible dangers. At crime scenes theyre usually leading the pack. There are even dangers during routine training, especially when the dogs have to practice apprehending a suspect.

What we have here is a bite sleeve, Trooper Busby says, holding up a sleeve that feels reinforced with cast iron. Its a protective training tool we use because, well, for obvious reasons. We dont have any spare arms laying around.

The sleeve is necessary because dogs apprehend suspects using their teeth and they have to practice their bite response.

Vermonts K-9 teams say the reality of working with a dog is that youre on the job around the clock.

24-7 he is with you, Trooper Slusser says of Drager. I take a shower, hes right there on the floor. He will not leave my side.

But with that togetherness comes an unshakable bond.

Reporter Rachel Feldman: What would he do if he saw you being attacked?

Trooper Slusser: He would kill himself to save me. Period.

Now thats a partner worth protecting.

Rachel Feldman – WCAX News

By Feature Writer Sady Doyle
This article was authored by a GlobalComment Feature Writer. To contribute an article, please see the guidelines here.
Posted in Arts amp; Literature, Feature, YA, books, feminism, movies, women
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THURSDAY, July 28 (HealthDay News) — Researchers say theyre seeing promising results in animals from a vaccine designed to prevent a heroin high.

The vaccine produces antibodies — a part of the immune system — that appear to prevent heroin from reaching the brain and producing euphoria, the study authors explained.