Google + and pseudonymity: open letter to @ Google | @ GrrlScientist

As you may know, along with thousands of people all over the world, my access to all my Google services was suddenly lifted without warning and without reason. My original appeal, my account was again rejected. I have written a letter to Google, this second rejection of the appeal. The text of this letter will appear on the go, she can help that you are also appealing this decision:

Dear Google

I am writing my Google account disabling appeal,.

A week ago, my entire Google account has been disabled, suddenly and without warning. I was allowed access to Gmail yet another Google service, until I my personal phone number in exchange for re-establishing access to my Gmail account abandoned. I can not even many of my other accounts, such as for example Google +, access reader and buzz. My YouTube account remains to locked.

I was never notified, what specifically this unexpected disabling my account was justified. A few hours later I learned only that use my account because the name I was shut down on my profile page, which they claim, is a violation of your "community standards". However, I have hurt not your community standards as mentioned in your own "display name". I told wish fulfilled: my profile name is "the name, that [I] often go in daily life."

My name is a pseudonym, as I open: say on my profile. I have used GrrlScientist as my pseudonym since 2000 and it has a long track record. I have given public lectures in several countries, email in both countries get, signed contracts, received cash payments, published in a number of places and has been for messages - all under my pseudonym asked. A recent Google search shows that GrrlScientist, as it is, is unique in the world. This corresponds to two or more conditions you have mentioned; (1) I'm not someone impersonation and (2) my name stands for only one person.

Further, in accordance with the law as I understand they are in the United States, Britain, Australia, a person is entitled to use facility and a pseudonym when this usage has no fraudulent intent and no legal obligation to withdraw. Furthermore, under United States common law (not sure about other countries) as soon as a person starts with a specific name "consistent, open and non-fraudulent, without interfering with other human rights", it is a legal name. Provision of my name in my profile, so in fact I have my legal name-, which I specifically requested that you mentioned me by this name, along with a few messages in my first call through the provision of information, specifically requested that you that mentioned me by this name, that proven.

During my online research I learned that it laws that prevent that your forced is European account holders to view private information, including their real name public. For this reason, I am also a copy of this letter to the data protection officer in London send. In addition, I am my concerns Exchange with other offices in the EU.

I appreciate your desire to build an online social community, the minimal disruption, abuse and threatening behavior is exposed to. However, I have the same name for more than a decade and there is no discomfort Facebook and LinkedIn registered against my online accounts such as Gmail, twitter. I have actually had a positive and member of the online community than my numerous contacts, supporters and colleagues are witnesses.

Further, there is no scientific evidence shows that pseudonyms people, especially those who had the same pseudonym for many years tend to indulge in socially disruptive behavior than those who use their real names online. On the other hand is a lot of prove, that show that people who use their real names online in their real lives of fraudsters and criminal in a number of ways, until, fraud, stalking and even physical violence was harassed by identity theft.

Taken together, this shows that I am not to "the people", who from the G + community exclude you. It is also evident that Google vaguely written directive forces one that actually increases the risks to its subscribers. Further, Google itself is disturbed that very community through, which it professes to defend themselves. I please respectfully again take Google my access to all of my services. I am also strongly calling Google to reconsider its online privacy policy and to rethink their lockdown procedures.

With kind regards,

GrrlScientist

.

e-Mail: grrlscientist@gmail.com
Twitter: @ GrrlScientist

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Boot-up: Intel on Apple's app store, demand media lawyers feisty get, and much more

Are there more than 300,000 apps available in Apple? App store alone, but many of those are created by retailers? fake?. Photo: Robert Galbraith/Reuters/Corbis

Quickly to chew over, as picked by the technology team burst of 7 links for you

"If you tweet even if you see a Pseudonym--tweet - do, how much you reveal about yourself?" More than you realize, argues a new paper from researchers at the MITRE Corporation. The paper, "Them gender on Twitter," which presented this week at the Conference to the empirical methods in natural language processing in Scotland shows that machines often sex on Twitter find a person can read only by their Tweets. And those know is making: the results for advertisers and others could be useful. "

Gender biased words for men: "http" and "Google". For women: "Chocolate" and "Man", among many others. Can an algorithm stereotype? Then again, it is currently correctly about 75% of the time.

"Steam is on a monthly survey to collect data our customers use what types of computer hardware and software." Participation in the survey is optional and anonymous. "The collected information is incredibly helpful for us as we on what types of technology investments to make and to offer products decisions."

It's also really interesting to see the range of steam users.

"Apple can iOS app store ecosystem will have phenomenal success with his, but Intel says it's about the online app sales in the wrong direction."
"As expected, Intel preferred his app-store in-a-box-AppUp program, which allows world + dog to create their own app stores with its software tools, then let the messy details how Intel collect payments to treat and deployment of software for customers, all for a 70/30 revenue split."

Essentially Intel franchise build would like to make, but you take the same cut as Apple or Google is doing. Hard to see the real benefits of franchising your own app store.

"Microsoft was its 12,000 or so participants his annual sales Conference Microsoft Global Exchange (MGX) by tweeting and blogging secrets last week keep." But at least an enterprising participants managed to one of the infamous sales videos to take that like to show the company on these events.
"On 20 July during the MGX softies showed their spoof of"Google mail man"is due to open meetings, inspire the troops selling Office 365 against Google apps, and in particular gmail." In the video to find for serving up riffles Google mail man by post, keywords-map. The news: Google cares more for advertising revenue as privacy. "

Searches Google for context? Yes, by computer. Looked Microsoft risks as it is desperate to smear Google. But mud can remain.

"There is something perverserweise flattering an entire site dedicated to your supposed Terribleness." But demand media is apparently not the attention of demand Studios sucks, a blog, refugees, unhappy and enjoy other critics of so-called content farm. "This week, as the demand of the market capitalisation fell below $1 billion for the first time, as it was in January, the company's lawyers stop a letter and refrain from holders of demand sucks Studio and managed temporarily take down some their Internet service provider to the internal documents that it was not written."

But the site soon returned - but without the content. Demand media need to be careful on this.

"Spend some time at the Ottawa Hospital and it probably form is not long to take a look at an e-health digital revolution."

"Doctors use check-ups, a diagnosis with digital images of X-rays, to explain MRIs or other test results iPads for interactive at the bedside." "Full of patients medical record can be drawn up on the iPad as the pages of reference works and other medical resources, a physician from a bookshelf could once have considered."

Yes, but a House?

"Recently, the FDA cleared a Radiology app for the iPhone and the iPad, the doctors, which display medical images including MRI, CT and PET scans."

"While the Agency sagt-the app - called Mobile MIM, made from MIM software-was approved for the production of medical diagnosis, it is called ' is intended to replace any full workstations and is for use only if it no access to a workstation.'"

We have heard, a seller of health doctors in the United States, iPads take business meeting, because it is a good bet that is the doctor.

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Boot-up: Hacker fool on LulzSec and privacy, Google + 1s are sold, and much more

NET tightened to hacker group LulzSec. Photography: Reuters

Quickly to chew over, as picked by the technology team burst of 8 links for you

"Hacktivism for good", which calls itself the jester comments about the difference between data protection, privacy and anonymity online after the arrest of anyone claimed to LulzSec Member Topiary on Wednesday.

The jester identity is not publicly known.

"A Crusader from Attrition.org has determined that an alarmingly high number of books written by computer security experts almost 100% from other sources are copied." "What says about the industry?"

He..., that his power can have learned their craft, by copying others? (We have the link of Kevin Mitnick, by the way.)

"A report by the Atlantic turned a light on a new"social media service"which allows users, Google + 1 purchase?" s in bulk. "The site in question, Pluseem, has a variety of different Google + package sizes by 50 points to 2,000, the prices range from $0, 18$ 0.38 per plus."

Breaking, Google quality guidelines, as you might guess. But the presence of spam shows an ecosystem that spammers to think in the value of hunting.

"Strange the error in iOS one was far widespread errors in the Web Kit and Microsoft's CryptoAPI nine years ago." It can sign purchased from a certificate authority, a different certificate valid certificate which then the client device considered valid.
"This enables who to win, can from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with man-in-the-Middle techniques to catch traffic and read all encrypted SSL traffic in the background, and without notice to the user."
"This patch should be applied immediately when you sign up for a service on your device, in particular things your bank or PayPal like." Users are especially vulnerable to these attacks, often using public/open WiFi.
"The really bad news?" If a generation of iPod touch a or you'll be constantly susceptible to two, or an iPhone, that use older than the 3GS. "Owners of these devices use it for a particular purpose, for the security or privacy is required."

A developer who is specialized in the digital currency, that he was sent back to China last week says, after he came to the Sea-Tac Airport with only $600 in cash and not in a position to convince US Customs and border protection agents that he would be able to finance his two months, visit bit coin with bit coin."
"The developer which alias"Doctor Nefario"by the, identifies Exchange itself as founder of the global bit coin."

Would have loved, during this interview be a fly on the wall.

"It turns out it is a method behind the FBI raids of suspected anonymous members of the country." The Office works from a list of handles under the condition of PayPal, 1,000 Internet IP responsible for the most protest traffic during anonymous' DDoS attacks against PayPal in December last year.
"FBI agents served 40 search orders in January on persons suspected, threaten PayPal during"Operation Payback"-anonymous ' retaliation against companies, on the black WikiLeaks list." "On 19 July the Feds charged the first 14 defendants under the computer fraud and abuse Act, and raided an additional 35 suspected for evidence."

So, just 960 to go. "" Also: "it was easy to distinguish the packages from the '" low orbit ion Cannon "-anonymous ' fire-and-forget DDoS tool-strings such as"Wikileaks,""goof", and in lieu of oath notes include"Goodnight,"insurance."

Oh love.

"We hold on one of the 10 things are true, that here is on Google, that quickly better than slow." We speed note in all things we do, and the button "+ 1" is no exception. Since the button start we have hard, improving your load time. "Today we are proud to announce two updates, the button" + 1 "and it, load the page more quickly make."

File under "almost immeasurable improvements to your life".

"We thought it would be interesting, a Microsoft Xbox Kinect work include association with our control maps on screen with simple gestures." "This video that reveals how we have and all I'll say is that with movements as follows, the GeoDoctor have a real girls on the dance floor..."

Clever, clever, clever.

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Windows phone 'Mango' production released: now wait until October

Cut mango slices. If Microsoft people buy five a day can... get Photo: Helen Rimmel

Microsoft has signed the code for the "mango" version of the operating system Windows phone - officially, the code has RTM had (appeared on production) - according to Windows team blog.

It, explains Terry Myerson, corporate Vice President in the Windows phone team (in fact of the daily Manager), that "this is the point in hand, where we code to our listeners and mobile operator partners to optimize of mango for their specific telephone and network configurations development."

(See our previous coverage of Windows phone mango for an idea of, what it contains.)

The good news: this is slightly above where it was expected, be (and certainly better than the original release of Windows phone that rewrite acquisition of risk Rosa - members and Windows Mobile Entertainment & device about the project from the $500 m caught up in the internal struggles within the Division have miles).

The bad news: It will be called "Windows Phone 7.5". We liked mango. For now stay with, we.

So it's at the end of July, in and out of the code is now so they have the entire August so mean, that should release in September, right...? Fear not. The complicated dance are telephone code right contains an extra layer that is not to the release of Windows OS to PC OEMs: the carriers.

So the mango into peoples hands (or a retailer shops), the processes are navigated:

• Cell phone manufacturers have mango against their new designs make sure that the code is run, really well on their systems to test

• Cell phone manufacturers have mango their old designs ensure that the code none caused catastrophic things happen, and that in fact only good things happen - not even indifferent to test. This worked with the first update to Windows phone ("Pre NoDo" update), which some LG phones mess when it rolled out in April.

• who have cell phone manufacturers (Nokia) to take their mobile phones to the carriers and allow them to test their networks. All air carriers insist on this as a precondition for the phones go in the network - new mobile phones; It is the same for Apple. (New iPhones are sent to carriers in sealed boxes, that the software can be tested.)

• If all in best order, then the carrier is will be know the cell phone manufacturers. This is of course by the slowest carrier to respond, in General.

This year there is a larger problem: much of Android phones and of course the new iPhones - expected in September - which are in the queue before the Windows phone mango phones. This may be a traffic jam, which will keep things.

This means that you should not expect the mango update to be rolled, or the new Windows phones (including Nokia's Sea Ray - no doubt, they find an exciting name, such as N9487) appear as a whole before October.

What was telling at least in terms of Nokia, which is I since February, have.

You may also want to consider, much like mango world, in the new OS be issued, the it in will be added. Many said that Windows phone non-competitive when (no cut + paste and various other things) published. Mango is a big improvement. The Windows team blog notes that it to talk to a single person multiple connections (IN IM, email, text) threading in a single view. Multi-tasking; and Internet Explorer 9. Not a word about Flash.

The question is whether it is large enough be after Apple's iOS 5 is released, and whether the next version of Android - codename ice cream sandwich - it is available until then. That is likely to have ingredients such as face tracking, a new application launcher, USB hosting (for a game controller), and simpler updates. Given the fact that Android notifications system is almost perfect, but its gingerbread keyboard system (in my opinion) is dire, perhaps is the UI improvements.

Whichever, not go mango, to have a soft landing.

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Boot-up: Cybercrime ' easier than ever before ", why dump Microsoft Bing and more will not"

Mac OS X lion... Launchpad makes your Mac to in fact a huge iPhone

Quickly to chew over, as picked by the technology team burst of 6 links for you

Brian Krebs, reliable as ever and per: "An explosion of online was tools and services online makes it easier than ever for beginners in computer crime entry." "At the same time suggests a growing number of prove, that much of the world of cybercrime activity may be the work of a core group of villains who have been there for many years."

Clever use of the nature of the FireWire. But: "Mac users who want to rule out the threat of forensic software can change the default from their accounts so that they no longer automatically log at startup." Mac antivirus vendor Intego has this here step by step instructions for action. Requiring a password to unlock or waking up a Mac prevents that X OS save the login password in your computer's memory. "Macs is the other way to help prevent them clear, if they instead of locks they or contact they are not used in sleep mode,."

You are warned.

Mary Jo Foley: "I wouldn't be surprised, to see more closely coupled with Windows 8 be Bing." Given, it will need to be a Windows-8-app store, users search the new marketplace for apps.
"While the world sees as a distant No. 2 search engine Bing, see Microsoft brass and bean counters bing as a reusable component and capital, which is more and more to create products." "Microsoft Bing will reject those who think, or to sell to the highest bidder dead false-, that now happen is not or anytime soon."

Baking Bing in Windows 8 sounds like a recipe for a competitive process. If Google has no sense, at least, a lawyer, the preparation has on it a case why consumers - which damage based on the Sherman antitrust cases.

A single page from John Siracusa enormous review of the Mac OSX 10.7 ("lion"), located on the dangers in the heart of Apple's OS file format references.

"Without my involvement with Windows and as was the prospect of me purchasing a Mac go a ridiculous concept in a huge history lesson until not that long ago long history I am short, a happy Windows user who decided it was time to acquire the latest MacBook Air." And I wonder how all out about it, despite my initial reservations on almost 2 large they Dole out (maxed out 13?) Model + taxes).
"Now, before I postulate my questions, I would like to questions that you please try to alleviate you."

Ping! This is the popcorn ready.

More seriously, he does not employ, why he moved, and is the more interesting question.

"RIM on Friday said it had bought JayCut in what is a likely attempt counter iMovie on the iPad." The agreement allows access to a mix of video edit it and cloud services. The BlackBerry maker made it clear to strengthen the acquisition was video editing textbook, as well as future BlackBerry phones.
"Conditions of the transaction were not assigned but were probably small enough that RIM do not have to report their conditions."

Amateur Director hour has begun.

Boot-up: Mac malware "Explosion" missing social breakthrough Google +, and more

Quickly to chew over, as picked by the technology team burst of 8 links for you

"Dignity the hacker-win and Apple are overwhelmed, or they would be killed by Apple's vigilance?"
"Two months ago I had a way come tried, that we could answer this question definitively."

"I wrote a small script download to save each hour and each unique version of Apple malware definition file permanently." I started this script running on 2 June, recording of version 2 of the file; Since then were 22 more versions, each add new malware definition signatures to the scanner. "I have all data now what at my fingertips."

It is an interesting data.

"Andreas Kluth from the Economist:" you tell me: in real life, how often you someone go and request, "Friends", then "sharing" pictures of you start naked baby?
"Wonderfully warm and fuzzy feel like you if someone (oh yes, he was not in my football team 30 years ago?)" (Or maybe I vomited on him at the keg party in 1989?) keeps you on the road, "Friends" asks to be, then shares his baby pictures with you?
"Mark [Zuckerberg] asked to exactly this sort of thing all of us." I thought it was strange at the time, and I said so in our pages. (The image at the top of this post is from this old piece.) Superstition-did I mention? -That was in 2007. A different era, as I have said. "

He likes Google + and circles however.

Before you, yes questions, they had similar as those of the Oslo murders. No case is also terrible not to use for a con artist.

On a prediction system using crowdsourcing is: people "buy" or "sell" a decision before it happens. Keep bookmark this one. Was on Sunday night happened on 21% chance.

Killian Fox: "Africa has experienced an incredible boom in mobile phone usage in the last decade." In 1998, there were fewer than four million mobile phones on the continent. Today, there are more than 500 m. In Uganda alone, 10 million people or around 30% of the population, have a mobile phone, and this number is growing rapidly every year. For Ugandans, these ubiquitous devices are more than just a practical way of to communicate on the fly: they are a way of life.
"It may seem unlikely, given his track record in technological development, but Africa is at the heart of a mobile revolution." In the West have we phones were more like our computers to adjust... In Africa, where the current worldwide use only 4% one billion people, many can make calculating a computer, let alone buy. "This led mobile phone users and developers more resourceful and African mobile phones are things to do, which only now begins the developed world take up is used."

You have to do very nice console for all API work or to test. (Thank you @ Artesea on Twitter for the link.)

Microsoft deep throat, an anonymous Manager: "the iPad remains in consumer love and money..." Suck money, which we prefer, send it our way, but there is nothing quite like for them to buy. Windows 8 ARM tablets? At some point next year, but what we showed to all things D is our take the squeeze an elephant in a VW bug. Here is some deep respect and chops to the people that this work to do, but it is a subtraction game, followed by many frustrating talks about why it is okay to work not certain obvious things... have obviously....
"An analyst question mean today: when the hell of bing is to stop, to lose money?" It seems, that the internal hiring spree finally has cooled so that well - the urging of warm body has finished.... Seriously but now is the time to start shaking the structure of bing and let the quality of the eco-system carry on and employs shed remaining work. If Xbox have made it, so can! "

What is puzzling is the dip and then jump in the period 2009. We would like to a statement.

Boot-up: Microsoft is nonsensical, search and Syrian hackers ' target anonymous'

Display Microsoft Bing... a sign of the times? Photo: Public domain

Quickly to chew over, as picked by the technology team burst of 8 links for you

"Microsoft must focus on a different kind of search: finding a buyer for Bing, the online search business." Bing is the industry's distant No. 2 after Google. It is a distraction for the software giant-one become expensive costing shareholders. The Division, the Bing houses lost $2.6 billion in the past year. May provide Facebook or even Apple a better home for Bing. "A sale would be a boon to Microsoft investors."

"Reports might buy Apple's staggering Q3 Dell twice and can a boatload money still in reserve, but they have a real ecosystem and strategy problem."

Apparently part of the problem is not search engine, who each quarter loses flows of money, and have made no LinkedIn in iOS5.

Mary Jo Foley: "as Microsoft's fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 profit made clearly, Windows 7 sales-with the glaring exception of Netbooks--are good, but not as it once was so good." Given it is still a year (give or take) s start up Windows 8, what is Microsoft's game plan to bottom drop out of the Windows PC market hold?
"The market for enterprise is chugging probably Windows 7 sales, keep many larger companies Windows 7, until finally after months of planning and testing provide." "And as Microsoft execs said during the yesterday's earnings conference call, the new market countries a lot of Windows 7, click though to lower prices - and with much higher piracy rates-as"developed"countries."

Interesting words on tablets. And this confirmed that Microsoft makes the worst PowerPoint decks in the world.

"Anonymous that hacker group, which saw some of their alleged members arrested last Tuesday had yet another blow to deal with on Wednesday, albeit less a: a dedicated social network page was hacked and defaced."
"The Group had announced earlier this week that it has started only AnonPlus, after his" your Anon "Newskonto of Google's new social network, Google +, was rejected for violating the website standards."

Syrian hackers apparently guilt. Ironic?

Sam Bowne of the 'ethical hacking' at the City College of San Francisco interviewed informed:
"RFE/RL: you see moral or ethical differences between what" news of the world "done has entry in" the Sun"for instance hacking into the individual phones or LulzSec, is there a moral equivalence here or are these different cases?" Bowne: "well, I mean, they are both wrong." They are both illegal. I think that they both be caught and punished. I think so, only that two wrongs make a right. And I do not see also, a real attack of the LulzSec purpose because I do not think there was some secret hidden things over which the news of the world have, would never come without them have hacking. Thus, it has not me clearly that she achieved nothing hacking. It was mostly just a trick, so she could laugh, that is, what about LulzSec always was. "
Thoughtful about the ethical differences between, for example, one physical sit-in and a DDOS "Visibility" staged.

"Yes, it grows further with five times the rate of the PC market (and 7.5 times the rate of only Windows PCs), but the iPad phenomenon is in fact affect the Mac."

Fascinating.

"The Android-based models Samsung Electronics Co., which can Nokia OYJ (NOK1V) world's second largest handset maker, and Apple Inc. (AAPL) smartphone sales in the second quarter exceeded have estimated driven due to the popularity, according to Boston-based strategy becomes Analytics.Samsung, that between 18 and 21 million smartphones sold worldwide iPhone's habenNeil Mawston in the period compared with 16.7 million for Nokia and 20.3 million", a London analyst at research said in an e-mailed response to questions on 22 July.

"The Galaxy device maker is passing in the Smartphone sales for the first time to Apple's on the next rival Google Inc. (GOOG) Android system on the way, Nokia and research in motion Ltd. (RIM) as consumers flock to devices." "Samsung, which is more than the double smartphone sales this year should aim at, and rivaled Apple replace use computer-like mobile phones Nokia as the biggest Smartphone seller and rising demand."

"Description: online"Pads"are used by anonymous / Antisec, information about their current target (s) post attack." "The pads contain information on any URLs, IP addresses, contacts, WHOIS records, and potential vulnerabilities exploit, links, phone numbers, addresses, status, etc." "shared"none"="

Google gormless 'no name' policy | GrrlScientist

A week ago, I was stunned to discover that my entire Google account -- gmail, reader, blogger, Google documents, YouTube, Google Plus (G+), etc. -- was suddenly suspended because their system "perceived a violation."

Violation? Me? Wha?? I was completely baffled.

Whilst I tried to learn what the problem was, this suspension created a communication blackout that affected my entire life. In the end, I was forced to give up my telephone number to Google so they could text me a numerical code that I could use to unlock my gmail account.

Fortunately, at this point in my life, I have a personal telephone number -- which I eventually and reluctantly provided to them in exchange for renewed access to my gmail account. But my G+ account remains locked and inaccessible, even now.

What horrible violation had I committed that deserved this gestapo-like behaviour? Had I defrauded someone using my pseudonym? Emailed nude photographs to children? Threatened someone? Was I stalking someone or hacking into strangers' voicemails?

No, it was none of these egregious transgressions. It was something far worse.

I used my pseudonym for my Google profile.

According to Google spokesperson, Katie Watson, real names are required for Google Profiles, and this profile is the requisite for people to establish their G+ accounts. And my online Google profile, which I used to get my G+ account, is pseudonymous.

But in the same paragraph, Google goes on to state that "Google Profiles requires you to use the name that you commonly go by in daily life."

But my pseudonym -- the name in my profile, the name I publish under here and elsewhere -- is the name that I "commonly go by in daily life."

It might surprise the white men employed by Google to learn that people use pseudonyms for a variety of legitimate reasons -- reasons that may not be mutually exclusive. They may be trying to evade a stalker or harasser; they might wish to keep their social life separate from their professional life; they may be seeking help about a medical condition that they wish to keep private; they might be a political activist or dissident, or they may have lost a job because they write a blog, for example. Perhaps they've used a pseudonym throughout most of their lives and are not well known by their real life name; they might use a pseudonym to distinguish themselves from the other two dozen people sharing the same name and city; or maybe their real name is too long, unpronounceable for most English-speakers or doesn't use Latinised letters. Or maybe they just plain hate their real name. I am sure there are plenty of other non-criminal reasons for using a pseudonym that I've not mentioned here, but regardless of the reason(s), these are personal. These reasons are not the business of Google, nor of any large faceless corporate giant.

I spent most of the day using Google -- ironically enough -- to research the legality of pseudonym use. In that search, I learned that in most of the English-speaking world, a person is entitled to establish and use a pseudonym if this use does not have fraudulent intent and is not meant to evade any legal obligation. Additionally, under United States common law (not sure about other countries), once a person begins using a particular name "consistently, openly and non-fraudulently, without interfering with other people's rights", it becomes a legal name. Further, pseudonym use is also permitted for legal and business activities, activities that include (but are not limited to) filing taxes, filing a lawsuit -- or even appearing in court using their pseudonym.

But even though three English-speaking countries recognise my pseudonym use as legitimate, this isn't good enough for Google.

From what I see, this "no pseudonym" policy is nothing more than corporate double-speak, particularly in view of Google's claim that its new social network, G+, emphasizes personal control over information and sharing. Yet this corporation dictates what information its users must share, regardless of the reasons they may wish to keep it secret. Despite their fancy words, Google's policies and behaviour demonstrates their empty promises, revealing that they remain completely ignorant of what online social life is really all about.

Like it or not, the fact is that many people routinely use pseudonyms, and online pseudonyms typically feed over into real life. As I've already stated, my pseudonym is the name that I go by in daily life, and further, my pseudonym IS my identity. I've published under this pseudonym. I've copyrighted documents and photographs under this pseudonym. I've signed contracts and received payments, email and snailmail addressed to this pseudonym in several cities in two countries. I've given lectures at several universities in several cities in several countries under this pseudonym, and I use it on my business cards. Even my spouse refers to me by my pseudonym, more often than not.

But I am not the only person who has discovered that access to their entire Google-life (reader, blogger, YouTube, G+, etc.) was unexpectedly disabled. In fact, some people's Google-lives were suspended even though they established their profiles using their real names because someone decided their real name sounded like a pseudonym.

So how does Google decide if a name is real? Apparently, they use a highly technical process where someone employed by the Google corporate machine guesses whether a name sounds like a pseudonym and they then purge these accounts. So using this rationale, the Alice Coopers, Woody Allens, and George Elliots of the world are "okay", whilst the Boy Georges, Madonnas and GrrlScientists clearly are not.

Oh, gotta point out that some of my friends -- not sayin' who -- who write under a pseudonym still have their G+ accounts.

Worse, after they've determined the real "meat space" name associated with a profile, keeping it private doesn't appear to be an option (but I can't verify this because, you know, I can't access my account). Besides, in view of previous Facebook and Google privacy "mistakes", why would any rational, thinking person believe that G+ will be immune to such "errors" in the future?

Despite my criticisms, I like what I've seen of G+ so far. For starters, it's intuitive to use. As an early-adopter with a continuous online presence since 1990, I have been part of many online communities and I am well versed in the evolution of social media. I've relied on social media to connect with many people around the world -- people I would never have met otherwise. (This includes my spouse.) But I now feel increasingly isolated from my community because my colleagues, friends, blog readers, bird pals, twitter followers -- indeed, my entire community -- are rapidly migrating to G+, a place that I am locked out of because Google doesn't like my name.

Like thousands of others who were suddenly purged from G+, I am currently disputing Google's ridiculous and inconsistent pseudonym policy, but they have not responded. Even though Google claims they respond in 24 hours, I've waited longer than that -- just as other people probably have.

At this point, I am deeply saddened by this narrow-minded big-brother corporate policy that places some people at greater risk than others, simply because they wish to build or maintain their online community under their pseudonym.

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Untangle the Web storytelling

Once upon a time, told media stories in a linear way of leading readers/listeners/viewers from the beginning to the end of the bits in the middle. There was a highlight and a resolution a build up. The end.

Now, things are different. The Web has his wicked way with stories, so that tellers mash up, mix and in the General mess around with formats and features.

But new media are really storyteller so far marginalized ways to do anything differently than what has come before, or are mainstream stories tell now? The disjointed, participatory and multimedia environment on the way we consume what effect had stories in other media?

Untangle the Web for these two weeks, I a few wise advice from the proverbial Joseph Campbell bridge and on the way to find out, ask in the forests of self actualisation (on my own).

Spin me a yarn on aleks.krotoski.freelance@guardian.co.uk or on Twitter, @ Aleksk (# uttw # storytelling).

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Vodafone 555 Facebook is blue phone to address emerging markets.

Vodafone is the latest company to reveal a Facebook phone, although the Vodafone-555-blue rather is emerging economies such as India as in the United Kingdom to a hit in mobile.

The device is a feature phone with Vodafone's proprietary operating system, but as Android or another Smartphone OS.

Made by TCL, the device has a 2.4 inch screen with a physical QWERTY keyboard, but is missing 3 g or Wi-Fi connectivity with 2.5 G / EDGE instead. It has a two-megapixel camera and micro SD card slot, with a dedicated Facebook button on the keyboard.

Buyers register their Facebook account, as soon as blue turn it the 555, and can sign up for the social network, if you already have an account.

Joanna Shields, Facebook's Vice President and managing director EMEA, said that the company hopes that the device in the developing countries of new registrations will be travelling. Meanwhile, access 250 million people Facebook from their phones.

"What they have done here really the most brilliant product out of the ground is created", said shields. "It is enabled in all aspects of Facebook."

555 Blue will go in various Vodafone markets including the United Kingdom in August in the sale. It is expected to cost less than $100 (about £ 60) on a prepay tariff, which will include a set of data usage.

"This is all about drive data growth in the segment of pre-pay", said Peter Becker-Pennrich, group terminals, marketing director at Vodafone Group. "How can we get an experience, abhebendes the real competition, and create nice and very relevant to this segment?"

In question, about the lack of 3 g or Wi-Fi, Becker-Pennrich proposed that users feel not negative, as updates and news about them over the air to be pushed. Continue to fall as prices for Android smartphones on pre-pay contracts, will face the 555 blue stiff competition in countries like the UK.

The deal is the latest mobile partnership for Facebook, that repeated proposals, the it a dedicated ' Facebook phone ' has rejected, touting instead would like to start a strategy of deep integration with many mobile phones.

To do this, Facebook is a central feature of Microsoft's Windows phone OS, while manufacturers release HTC mobile phone released two Android smartphones with dedicated buttons for Facebook has: the HTC salsa and HTC ChaCha - the Vodafone 555 Blue design is similar to the latter up to the blue Facebook button.

INQ was two Facebook phones of its own earlier in this year: the INQ cloud touch and INQ cloud Q, running also Android.

Apple has so far resistance of temptation, integrate Facebook into its iOS, instead striking a deal with Twitter that a flagship feature of the upcoming iOS are 5 software.

Facebook is intended, to an HTML5-based platform for social mobile Web applications, code name project Spartan according to the TechCrunch shovel work this year.

It will bring platform expected, iOS and other smart phones, complete with Facebook apps, Facebook credits payment system.

However blue sit phones like the 555 more by Facebook's efforts to drive use in emerging markets. Partnerships thanks the social network launched in May 2010 0.facebook.com, a stripped-down mobile site with NULL 3 g data charges with operators around the world.

More recently, Facebook launched a new every phone Java application that concerned itself only runs on more than 2,500 feature phones, and once again signed with operators to remove data charges, if only for a period of 90 days.

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Why Microsoft's ' single ecosystem "for PCs and tablets huge risks bears"

 

Microsoft wants to move towards a single software ecosystem for both mobile phones, PCs, and devices in between including tablets and e-readers running its software, according to Andy Lees, the head of the Windows Phone division.

In a speech at the Windows Partners Conference in Los Angeles, Lees outlined a number of key trends which he said were leading to the changes: "it starts right at the core of the devices themselves," he said, pointing to the demonstrations of Windows 8 running on systems-on-a-chip (SOC) that mean that PCs can take different form factors.

Lees then suggested that there will not be "an ecosystem for PCs and an ecosystem for phones [and] one for tablets. They'll all come together." He said that this did not mean replacing the PC: "our strategy is that these new form factors are within a single ecosystem and not new ecosystems themselves".

Having Windows Phone 7 on a tablet would "conflict with this strategy", he said. "We view a tablet as a sort of PC. We want people to be able to do the sorts of things that they expect on a PC on a tablet". That includes connecting to networks, using networking tools, connecting USB drives, printing, and using Office.

But that has sparked heated - and urgent - dicussions about what a "unified ecosystem" is, and how it would work across multiple devices which run incompatible software.

Longtime Microsoft-watcher Mary Jo Foley suggests that for Microsoft, "ecosystem" doesn't necessarily mean "dependent population of software and hardware built on a reference platform", which is the meaning that every other organisation uses. She says it is instead "a broad-brush term that can mean anything from the development environment to its distribution channels.

And, she adds, being a "Windows device" doesn't mean that that device is running "Windows" as you see on a PC. Windows Phone runs a version of Windows Embedded Compact with "a layer of Microsoft customization on top". Xboxes actually run a substantially tweaked version of Windows NT.

But, she notes, if Microsoft has got Windows (proper) running on the ARM architecture, then maybe it could get it to run on Windows Phones.

Foley's contacts say that that isn't going to happen for the next upgrades of Windows 8 and Windows Phone in 2012 - which means that any change, and unification, isn't going to happen until at least 2013.

Developers think that apps might be made to run on any of those interfaces, if you could bring them close enough together: one suggestion is that Silverlight, its browser plugin system (analogous to Adobe's Flash), might fill the gap. Or maybe HTML5/Javascript/CSS will do the job, since Microsoft has talked about apps written for that running on Windows 8 (to the slight terror of some developers with years invested in Microsoft-specific development environments).

My opinion: trying to unify "Windows" - or create a unified operating system environment - across all those devices, and even across just tablets and PCs, will initially go swimmingly for Microsoft. Windows 8 is initially going to go great guns. It works on PCs and it's got an interface that works on tablets too! What's not to like? You can see corporations snapping it up. The idea of extending it (or extending its apps) to Windows Phone is ambitious, but I think that once they see what's going to happen, they'll pull back from trying to pull that in as well.

But pay attention to the key word: initially. Compare the approach of Apple and Google, which are developing a mobile OS that works on both smartphones and tablets, with Microsoft, which is developing a desktop OS that works on both PCs and tablets.

What sort of device is a tablet? Actually, don't answer that yet. What sort of device is a smartphone? A mobile one - and one that is evolving at a furious rate. Video calling, voice-over-IP, GPS, near-field communications (NFC), gyroscopes, compasses, accelerometers, augmented reality (requiring real-time video processing plus location sensing plus internet) - they've all come to smartphones in the past few years. And the mobile OSs involved have had to evolve to be able to handle the inputs involved and process them - which means that to make them useful to developers, the OS has to evolve and offer APIs.

You only have to look at how far and how fast Apple's iOS and especially Google's Android have evolved since 2007 and 2008 respectively to realise that smartphone OS evolution is running at an astonishing rate. The iOS versions Wikipedia page and Android versions Wikipedia page show that the times between major upgrades can be less than a year.

Compare that to desktop OSs: both Apple and Microsoft are now on development cycles that take at least two years between major revisions. Windows 7 came out in 2009; Windows 8 is expected in 2012. Snow Leopard came out in August 2009; Lion is due, well, any day now. The development cycle for desktop OSs, even with service packs, is much slower than that for mobile phones.

So our next, crucial question: is a tablet more like a PC or a smartphone? I think this one pretty much answers itself. Despite what Lees says (or has been told to say following long strategy meetings with Steve Ballmer and Steve Sinofsky, the head of the Windows division), tablets get used in situations that are more mobile than they are static. They're used in snatched moments between trains, or in homes, and particularly in situations where people don't want to or can't use laptops.

OK - you can argue that laptops are used in mobile situations too, and nobody suggests that they aren't PCs. Fair enough: so we'll let Microsoft determine that tablets are PCs, and let it produce the same OS for tablets as for desktop and laptop PCs.

For a year, those Windows tablets are going to look great. But during that time, Apple and Google (and not forgetting HP with its TouchPad/webOS and RIM with the PlayBook, if it's still making it then) will be working as hard as they can to advance their mobile OSs to incorporate everything novel that crops up. They'll build smartphones and tablets which will incorporate all sorts of new technology (which presently might be just a gleam in a researcher's eye - we're talking about 2013 here).

Meanwhile, those Windows tablets will begin to struggle, because Microsoft will have two choices: (1) come up with service packs that enable access to APIs for those technologies on tablets, which of course won't be needed on desktops, lest they fall behind the competition, or (2) keep tablets moving at the slower pace of desktops.

The second doesn't look good. The first is competitive - but that means both writing and testing the new software - hard enough - and, more to the point, working on a continuous upgrade and testing schedule which does not allow for any delays. Miss a trick in the tablet market, and someone else will step in and grab it. New APIs will have to be added to Windows tablets to compete with rivals; else they'll not support new technologies, and look backward.

But the PC track and the tablet track aren't going to be quite in sync; the tablet track will be moving far faster than the desktop track, if Microsoft is going to keep competitive with those rivals. Very few people need a gyroscope in their desktop PC. They do need GPU optimisation. Built-in 3G isn't important for a desktop; you might like it in a tablet. Which should Microsoft develop first? If tablets are selling, that takes resources from the desktop development - unless you throw more bodies at both, in which case you have the inevitable problem of regression tests to make sure code improvements haven't screwed up all your earlier work.

Another alternative is that the tablet track moves more slowly, in which case although the tablets will improve in speed (through Moore's Law), they won't benefit from integrated extra capabilities. If in 2014 rival tablets can handle iris recognition and voice recognition, will people wait for Microsoft to crank the handle on Windows to release a tablet update that enables it?

This is going to be extremely tricky for Microsoft to pull off. Recall that Windows Phone was significantly delayed, even though it used existing code (and is still built on ancient code going back to Windows Mobile). Vista was very delayed, because Sinofsky tore up the whole development process for Windows - which in theory is a lot more agile now. Even so, the risks of the tablet and desktop OSs diverging is very real; it already happens for Apple and Google. But it's a bigger risk if you insist that you must be able to do the same things on the desktop as you can on the tablet - as Lees did.

In theory, Windows can be developed much more quickly now. That raises the question of why it's taking three years between versions. If tablets and PCs are moving at different speeds, as we already know they are, Microsoft is going to struggle to prevent forking. Either it's going to pull off the most amazing development feat ever - not that likely given its track record - or one of the two, tablets or PCs, is going to suffer in the development stakes.

Microsoft could of course get around this challenge by accepting that tablets work better with a mobile OS - which is sort of what Apple, Google, and latterly HP have proven. But to do that would sacrifice the Windows licence fee it hopes to extract from each Windows tablet under the new regime. The danger is that just as with its previous efforts on tablets, it's going to sacrifice volume for value - and annoy its partners too.

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Boot-up: Foursquare hit 10 m users, such as one with LulzSec and more

Quickly to chew over, as picked by the technology team burst of 9 links for you
Beautiful animation.
Dan Frommer new venture digs into the details of the ChangeWave research. iPhone satisfaction: 70%; WP7, 57%; Android, 50%; WHEEL, 26%.
"If governments really seriously stop this threat that they were to defuse the anger and hate people almost feel toward the Government these days work would, she would take, people show that they are not the bad guys and taking this tough approach." Would more public perception on attention and the problems that people have not address an honest and transparent way responsible to the public, if questions are asked. "
Comments are interesting.
"Alon Laudon discovered a new experimental interface for Google results pages." The most important change is that most navigation items be visible remains, even if you scroll down. "Sidebar options have a fixed position, the navigation bar, the search box and search which means that you no longer scroll to the top of the page, edit the query or a special search engine switch."
It's bad that a first response was "I wonder, when, which was patented in?"
"Remember, the one great purpose of this Conference is to liven up Microsoft's network of partners and choice is exaggerated Turner's rhetorical fuel." "But as an insight into Microsoft's competitive mentality, it is enlightening - and also quite entertaining, if taken with a huge grain of salt."
Comments on Apple, Siebel, Salesforce, Google... You are all available. (Thanks @ Rquick for the link.)
Arrested a 16-year-old South Londoner: "Police hope that that could bring they teen and his computer, which was taken for the analysis of Topiary and the hackers Sabu and Kayla, added to by other hackers as the driving force behind the attacks on security companies like HBGary Federal." Also credit for attacks on a FBI partner, subsidiaries of Sony the PBS television network, AT & T called for the Lulz.
"The most recent arrest came on the same day that the United States were 16 accused hacker, which all but two of those charged with noted organized participation in attacks against payment processor PayPal in an operation by hacking group anonymous." "Two of the U.S. hacker connections to Lulz accused."
Ed Bott, nobody's idea, a Microsoft hater: "after nearly a decade, Microsoft's reign as a monopoly is over."
"The consent decree in United States against Microsoft expired last month officially Microsoft remove from antitrust review by the United States Department of justice." And the most recent data on Web usage, is that Microsoft's once dominant position in the world of personal computing crumbling.
"For the last four years I have collected market share snapshots of your Web experience by net half-year reports." The data for the first half of 2011 say an ominous story for Microsoft. "See for."
OK, wrong source in the diagram, but interesting.
"Apple's lion is their demands of us perhaps the real beginning of the end for PCs, in the sense of a computer, which roughly, personally, is above." Scroll bars? They are not natural and have no equivalent in the real world. We touch usually only one document, and with our fingers bewegen-- a Tablet way of working, which seems more natural and is now part of the lion. It's still that mouse or touchpad - work with large vertical screen compromises - needs, but the interface is one that to work, if it can start nothing more than an advertisement of some sort. If the computer itself, in other words, went way.
"Combining this type of movement with, say, projectors in walls and the way of the lens by which they can integrated throw a readable image everywhere;" Motion sensors, who know where the fingers and hands are; a connection in the cloud; "documents, is that you must never explicitly store, because they just always... where, in this picture the PC?"
"If you find data.gov.uk in detail that it is filled declarations with Organograms and expenditure and many of the datasets, the publication started already have stopped (for example A & E activity.)" Most authorities seem always is "User pays" policy run, if you will also headline free data publications such as Meteorological Office data services receive. "While there are some particularly early success, there is clearly much more to do."
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Post-PC? What Apple iPad you tell us about computing future sales and PC trends

PC sales without Apple 2007q3-2011q2, around the world. Source: Gartner
Some interesting points, the third as a result of Apple's quarter (fiscal year starts in September) results, and the lion version and the version of the new computer of the other day and broader developments in the computer sales:
• iPads (9.2 m) exceeded Macs (3.95 m) in the fourth quarter in a row - and they are now more than double sold.
• If you iPads "Piece described" as (Steve Ballmer does, but you can not agree) then Apple would be the second largest PC maker in the world (according to HP, which in the second quarter according to Gartner 14.9 m units shipped.)
Probably not useful one IOS as "PC" define it however. The whole Tablet class is intended for a different kind of data processing; the HP TouchPad safely positioned itself as a business device (something that by its leaders me time and again stressed), but the kind of work do you do with him fits in places where laptops and desktops just not go.
The new Mac mini released • no optical drive (CD or DVD) on Wednesday.
• The new MacBook Airs have released on Wednesday no optical drive.
• The low-end MacBook is gradually abolished.
The new MacBook Airs • use only Flash (SSD) drives. They are smaller, but they are much faster than hard drives.
• Lion will be available as a download for $29 in the United States (£ 21 in the UK) or can it on a USB key for $69.
• Lion is much more like a Tablet operating system than previous versions of OS X. Not surprisingly, since Snow Leopard came out before the iPad OS had been completed.
• Lion has a "Internet recovery" where if the hard disk of your computer needs repair, you can start from the Internet. You need high speed, but it is available in many places. This will not help if your hard drive crashes, but it is certainly helpful.
• If you Apple's Macintosh auctions of the worldwide PC market, a total of 81.2 m (Gartner), or 80.4 (IDC)-strip Windows PCs were sold in the quarter. I assume that close to accurate as if it compares you with my analysis of Microsoft's "more than 400 m Windows 7 licenses" sold where I 80 m PCs than the figure offered (because obviously Microsoft has received a license to Macintosh programmes).
• Who is a year growth of Windows PCs by only 1.8%; and that growth is only visible as a clip of 9% of PC sales in the Asia Pacific region grew to. The picture in the United States and Western is the contraction in Windows PC sales. (I am qualified to add as Apple, grew again faster than the rest of the market - 11.9% or almost ten times faster - for 16 consecutive quarters.) (It comes from a very low base, but it is still an interesting fact, which must point to a "halo effect" from the success of the iPhone and iPad recently.)
• Microsoft is looking for tablets and other devices to: his ambitious "an ecosystem" plan seems in a world where you can not, your desktop PC... or you may be aligned. You may be on a tablet. For Microsoft, it is the only way forward.
Since all... you'll see a few things. PC sales in the West, where they first invaded really look how they have passed their peak. Companies replace older systems have been driving sales together, but consumers hold back. Sometimes this will be due to the Economic Outlook: faced people in the paddling is no reason at the moment when the prognosis is exactly rosy with the United States United States and Europe with its debt ceiling and the euro area a meltdown.
But the risk that at the time these two crises have sorted itself out and in the United States and Europe back to "normal" growth (what that sees in the future), will have turned to computing trends. Apple tends to be the computer industry to places to which already it could go, but is enough not quite brave to in to move: give up floppy drives with the iMac, and Wi-Fi in laptops. (True, Dell was the first time with Wi-Fi in laptops, but not push it it out more than half of its laptop line, as Apple did with the original iBook.)
Now Apple are saying is that the future is no optical drive, no hard (Flash instead) Internet and boots. Many of the computing future might look not like the computing past. Are the right way for children to interact with computers learn elementary schools first desktop PC really? Does everyone in a company need a desktop or laptop?
Yes, one could certainly argue that tablets are just a passing fad like Netbooks. (And look where going Netbooks: sales are way down.) But Microsoft doesn't seem to think that; It seems to think tablets (as a slate or "Convertible" tablet with keyboards) are an important segment.
Apple, meanwhile, thinks that all connections in the cloud. Google agreement with its GoToMyPC, which is completely cloud-based (albeit with some offline work promised.) Which provides on also a note if you're going to see that Blu-ray drives in Apple Macs. Yes, they are all over the place in Windows laptops. But it looks that they will never come to Apple machines. Apple is instead in the direction of downloads show way she sees things in the future.
And if you think that's just Apple, consider this question: faith guides you, that we are all at some point end 2012 expect these Windows 8 tablets, bulky DVD or Blu-ray drives will contain? And do you think that it the spinning hard drives or SSDs? The answer is pretty obvious.
Microsoft reports results on Thursday night. See what he says about PC sales. (The transcript is time on seeking Alpha the next morning UK.)
Go - predictions, what the data will look like in five years. Five years ago there was no iPads, no Netbooks, hardly SSDs, and you get even floppy drives, but it was a Blu-ray drive is difficult to achieve. How about 2016? What does, that you look like?

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Information is beautiful on the Datablog: links V right redux | Visualized

What are links and right actually for? I have this visualization with the London designer Stefanie Posavec in 2008 to try to understand political perspectives. I had a vague feeling, but no real detail. No sense of cartography. So I by the Encyclopædia Britannica roved, cross references with Wikipedia and deepened over websites like conservative resource.com shape up, and create a fluid concept map for these two blocks.

The political spectrum is of course not so polarized. Actually it is apparently a diamond shape. But that's how it especially in the media – left wing vs right-wing labour vs conservative, Democrat vs. Republican shows. And perhaps in our heads...

The image was published in my book information is beautiful in Feb 2009 and was immediately right bloggers set to. They drubbed it for his left-wing bias. I thought fair play. You have some good points. As a left-wing journalist type I had clearly - and unconsciously - the chart links seem better than biased to the right.

So I got to tedious (and sometimes heated) discussion with my right wing critics. In their feedback and no small amount of data fireballs in the comments - I updated the image refine the wording and change a few other subtle elements for a hopefully more balanced end result.

(If you're curious, you can see the original pictures on my Flickr)

But remember: this is an attempt to represent the idealized versions of the political spectrum. It is as if I am routes dense, such as a piece of rubber, so that the information and forms are exaggerated. The reality is subtle and diverse - a shape I hope in a future release.

I love this diagram. Not only because it is a very rarified form of data - is we constructed the concepts and ideas can make our world views. So it literally to act can as lens * see * what others think.

But also perhaps, it on the potential of information visualization shows. That is, seeing ideas allows us to keep seemingly conflicting value systems at the same time in our minds. In the current language, f * k with our minds.

If you like this picture, can be ordered from a nice A2 print on beautiful FSC-certified Munken art paper here.

I do InformationIsBeautiful.net, visualization dedicated information, ideas, stories and data. Twitter @ infobeautiful
This is a new and updated image from my book infographic Exploria, information is beautiful. (HarperCollins 2009). In the United States called the book the Visual Miscellaneum

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Analysis: Bing keeps Microsoft below weigh and PC gains are tips

Microsoft said that it has sold now more than 400 m Windows 7 licenses. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Following Microsoft blockbuster financial results on Thursday night, you look a little closer at Microsoft online services - which continue to a hole that eats everything just resemble, which is thrown into it. Above all, money.

Here is the chart:

Microsoft online services earnings after quarter of calendar 2005 - 4Q 2Q 2011 calendar

Any way you cut it, that is not good. Revenue is about flat and continue at a greater level than revenue - so of the first quarter sales was losses $62 m and the losses were 728 m.

True, Microsoft invested heavily in the cloud services (are part of the online services) - Office 365 has an overall positive reception - but at some point, the supertanker has either to turn or fall into a black hole and everything you start really suck (to metaphors in a terrible way mix) it is.

Saw what positive in the fact that Sequentlally revenues for the quarter, but rose as the chart shows it about 20% of the peak times, which were in the October 2006 - June 2007 analysts (the covering large three quarters in the middle).

And let us also refer to my predictions about Windows sales and profit from blog post a few days ago.

At the time calculated mulling Microsoft's claim on 400 m Windows 7 licenses have sold, I, on the basis of Microsoft's financials last numbers:

Going to Microsoft's own financial results (numbers come from the fourth quarter until next week), three-year average sales per Windows PC sold is $56.47, and profit is $39.91.

Close the two scenarios and the following result for the Windows Division:

• 75 m PCs sold: revenues: $4. 23bn; Enjoy $2-. 99bn

• 80 m PCs sold: revenues: $4. 52bn; Profit: $3 billion.

In the case, we know that there were a total of 81.2 m (Gartner) or 80.4 (IDC)-Windows PCs sold in the quarter. Call it 80.8 m for comfort. By my math, you will find Windows Division, which had revenues of $4. 56bn and profits of $3. 22bn then.

In the event, it was $2. 94bn (drum roll) $4. 74bn and profit. Benefits lower turnover (4% higher than the model), (9% as the model).

Why could that be? Since the prices of Windows down pushed are even while the sales. This is the China-effect, that it is more piracy in China, but it is also the place (along with India and other Asian countries), where the sale is booming.

Yet Microsoft Office, can that needed only an installed base, now in the direction to make 2 billion money reliable, even though Windows left in the device.

Meanwhile, Apple announced that it 1 m times OSX lion was sold in its first day. This is a whole lot. Of course, now can you argue about whether, which caught up with Windows 7 (to do quite a bit) or is always a head start on Windows 8. Of the performances of the two, I think that it is more like this. And what will Microsoft Pro-PC sales and profits look is ready by the time Windows 8?

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Boot-up: Twitter strategy 'a mess', color spurns $200 m Google deal, and much more

Quickly to chew over, as picked by the technology team burst of 8 links for you

"When introduced was Twitter the last time a killer feature?" Photos? We know how the work should not once again. "And we entrepreneurs with Instagram see for what it's value to much, so there is obviously something broken with Twitter photos."

Arrington says that the color should have taken the deal.

Gruber says: "I'm not, pick data raisins." I'm just watching, based on Apple's sales and Google activation data that the Tablet market today not everything sees how the Smartphone market is ever did. The iPad to enter Tablet market. The result was the Tablet market. "The iPad role on the Tablet market more resembles the iPod role in the digital music player market than the iPhone's role in the 2008 mobile phone market a decade ago."

Separately, Oracle won permission to question Larry page about his knowledge of the Google's relating to alleged infringement of patents, the Oracle was so grave has the popcorn.

Oracle and Google inappropriate positions on the scale of the damage to a high-stakes patent battle Android operating system have taken over, said a US judge in court.

"Both of you ask for the Moon and should be more appropriate," US District said judge William Alsup in a testy hearing on Thursday.

Ouch. Search engine land chief tells it like it to be: "for one, you know that Twitter and Facebook, which support both brands and there were of course for this request." You do not, that implement the support. "To you bad."

"According to June 21 by Boston-based market research company of Strategy Analytics released, global Tablet shipments reached 15 m units in the second quarter of 2011. Apple of claimed first position with 61% share-down by 94% a year earlier." "Tablets, Android, now on 30% operating system share of 3% in the year before second quarter zoomed executed."

Note that is not revenue shipments. Mary Jo Foley points out just because it delivered is not meant that a retailer has left it to shelves.

"Fujitsu today announced that the new Windows ® 7 F - 07 C-are mobile in Japan by NTT DOCOMO Inc. from 23 July 2011 available."
"The F-07 C mobile phone with Windows ® 7, paragraph 1 is the world's smallest PC(2) that fits in the Palm of the hand."
"F-07 C is as standard with a two year license for Microsoft ® Office staff 2010-an important business tool and other basic PC functionality, in addition to cheap mobile phone functions such as such as Osaifu-Keitai." "The combination of PC and mobile phone functions, F-07 C door and gate for a number of new opens."

Contains images. (Go on, take a look) Need heroic vision and finger from secondary, to use one of these. Atom processor (natch). Claimed battery life: "~ 2 hours in Windows 7 mode." We'd like to see.

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Boot-up: Smartphone snakes, IOS provides, revealed patents and more

This is what hurt Apple's patents on HTC phones. Mobile phones other Android's next? Photo: Robert Galbraith/Reuters
A burst of 12 links for you to chew over, as picked by the technology team
"Where you have been outbid, you have to you has been sleeping with spoke - secrets which people would share even with their closest friends are not in a device, you better than white spills each familiar."
"Apple may have publicly denied that it is tracking people via their iPhones but the police and private forensic experts have saved any contrition about unlocking the secrets in smartphones."
"Last year, the policing Agency placed improving cell phone teaches evidence in the top level of the training requirements for officers, evidence they secure put together by cell phones, with 3500 officers, expected in the year that take the course."
Shipping delay up to 1 to 3 days instead of one or two weeks, as they were in April.
"Q: which is still quite remarkable - get the most news sites almost completely trolling or offensive comments." What is transformed it over the Internet, the people of assholes? "A: I think anonymity;" They think that they can get away with it. Anonymous speech - like whistle-blowing - definitely has a role in the company, but any time you anonymity people can introduce free assholes. How I grew up in Los Angeles, and if you are in a car in Los Angeles with 8 million other people, you are completely anonymous; People drive horribly. And then you move to Oregon, and everyone is waving at people drive much nicer and other. I see that the online - is it as you can what level of anonymity, is as much garbage, you're going to get. "
"It turns out that two patents have already been confirmed in this way." A patent covers the editing of data structures with user input (that is, if you on a mobile phone display a number increments, which is patented tap). The second patent includes "Real time processing serial data transmitted" - Although that sounds at first like a patent, it may be all of the slides software level of abstraction of real time operations (such as driver) include hardware. For more information about the FOSS patents blog. "The result is that if it is formally approved, Apple could either be a license for all Android powered devices, HTC they sell fee (if you consider the HTC for exactly this reason already pay Microsoft royalties is) or prevent that HTC import Android powered devices at all in the United States." "The latter measure may be issued as little as three or four months."
"Friday's Apple won a round in his court fight against Taiwanese phone maker HTC, when an International Trade Commission judge ruled that HTC Android phones violate two Apple patents." "The verdict is HTC appealing."
It's all about patents at the moment.
Useful for any time Twitter for good should scratch anything.
Kootol of the software patent "universal knowledge management and desktop search system" - is now safe to pass through the US Patent Office (aptly a set) and be approved. The USPTO has been asleep for the last 10 years? Google Desktop Search? Anyone?
"44,49 Million units reached Taiwan-based notebook maker invoice in the second quarter of 2011 with a sequential increase of 8.5%, better than the 5.6% growth in the same quarter a year ago." The shipment growth in the second quarter of 2011 was above all that from one million units by the Intel Classmate PC Venezuela, while the demand from the consumer notebook market remained low and incident, the delays in the movement of new notebook models, did not significantly Intel's chipsets, broken the notebook manufacturers, according to DIGITIMES Research benefit senior analyst Joanne Chien. "
Also: Broadcasts of MacBook Airs grew by 300,000 up to 1 m, and 30% of Apple's total notebook shipments were. That is a lot.
Our story about developer a discussion on reddit about what is and not software pull through back causes of U.S. app store due to the software patent fears, patentable. Insightful.
Hockenberry like the Internet as a medium for the distribution; "But this advanced distribution is also our business at risk: there are people in this new market to claim the right to a part of our hard work." Either by patent or, developers are this new find copyright infringement costs of proceedings be too onerous.
"The scary part is that these violations with any part of our products or Web sites can occur: things that one would never imagine, is a violation of someone other intellectual property." It feels like coding in a mine field. "From our experience, it is quite possible that all revenue for a product of legal costs can be eaten." After years of pouring your heart and soul into this product it is devastating. It makes you question why the hell you are in the business: If you can pay salaries of sales of products, there is no point in building there are in the first place. "
All Revenue? Scary.
Long interview; We will cook time-starved it up on a few lines for that.
Stephen DeWitt: "corporate synergy..." Laser focused... excited... Possibilities... Channels... compelling... clientized... Take advantage of the experience... meaningful relationships... passionate... a few things that we have not right to clearly communicate... "Push-back... tethered relationship..."
Rubenstein: "I would focus of my time in the future, WebOS is more."
Only obvious to American readers: "Verizon has already started cutting down on tethering by removing applications from the Android market, but today it has a much larger step by releasing an update for the HTC thunderbolt that blocked it by unauthorized tethering." Droid free of charge and LG revolution next in line. avoid the update means not get gingerbread (Android 2.3) support later.
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Apple stores: a steamed 10-year anniversary

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California has 49 Apple Stores. France has seven: Photograph: Elise Amendola/AP
Apple and understatement aren't close relatives. Not that they don't have a right to strut a bit: after all, under its returning co-founder, Apple 2.0 performed the most stunning corporate turn around ever – and shows no sign of slowing down. As a result, product launches, developer conferences and quarterly earnings announcements all turn into opportunities for the company to blow its own horn.
So, when the 10th anniversary of the first Apple Store came by, I expected a big celebration: fireworks, decorated stores, laser engravings on anniversary edition iPods, a coffee table book with a Steve Jobs foreword, a speech, a video … Yet, on 19 May, nothing happened. At least publicly.
All we got was a leaked internal poster celebrating 10 years of achievements and learnings:

An eyeful or an eye-chart. You can get a more legible PDF version from ifoAppleStore.com. Or, courtesy of Tech Evangelist Joey deVilla, a version obligingly rendered in text with paragraphs. Longish as it might be, the document is worth reading: it rings true and proud; it is a manifesto of Apple's retail philosophy – and of its impact on the entire company.
I decided there had to be a reason for the official silence. I wanted to make the anniversary a Monday Note topic, but hearing the silence and unable to ascribe a meaning to it, I decided to bin the topic for a while.
The wait didn't last long: Ron Johnson, Apple's senior vice president of retail operations, announced his departure right after the 6-10 June WWDC. Divorce papers the morning after the anniversary … The muting of the celebration made (some) sense.
But why did Ron Johnson leave?
Under his tenure, Apple Stores has become the envy of the retail industry, breaking one record after another: revenue per square feet, year-to-year growth, store size, foot traffic and architectural design. (See here for a neat set of Apple Store statistics.)
With such a record, one can easily see Apple's "retail guru" standing up, declaring "My Job Is Done" and leaving on a high note.
Then, sparing us the rote "spending more time with my family" explanation, Ron states he always wanted to be the chief executive of a major retail chain. JC Penney just happened to need a new chief, this was an opportunity to fulfil a long-time ambition, to become his own boss.
All very logical, but, for a number of reasons, the polished tale doesn't quite ring true.
First, with 326 Apple Stores, the job isn't quite done. Exceedingly well done so far, but not complete. For example, after the US, China is now Apple's second market, it is where Apple experiences its largest year-to-year growth. According to ifoAppleStore.com, the site that does an excellent job of documenting the life of Apple Stores, Apple will open 25 more stores in China by the end of 2012. My own observations of Apple's third market, western Europe, lead me to believe Apple is very far from reaching saturation there. For example, with a population of about 36 million, California has 49 Apple Stores. France, with a population of 62 million, only has seven. Per capita GDP differences ($47K vs. $34K yearly) don't account for the disparity. We can safely assume this applies to western Europe as a whole, showing how much headroom Apple Stores still has there.
No one knows what the saturation is, fortunes have been lost by those who believe trees grow to the sky, but there is no reason to consider Apple Stores is "done". One could just as easily call today's Apple Stores network ''a good start''.
Second, Apple Stores is always evolving. This gets us much closer to the real explanation than my previous point. The never-ending stream of changes, the attention ranging from architectural design to minute furniture details all bear another man's imprint: Steve Jobs'. We'll recall he picked Bohlin Cywinski Jackson as the architects for Pixar's elegant headquarters – and kept using the firm for most Apple Stores building or renovation projects. In the process, several Apple Stores became architectural icons. Then, when it came to interior design, Jony Ive, Apple's senior vice president of industrial design took a lead role.
For the ever-changing details, watch Jobs proudly take us through the first Apple Store in this 2001 video. And compare with today's setup.
For amateurs of minutiae, ignore the main checkout podium where MacBooks run transactions and, instead, take a look at a standard product display table. Your friendly Apple Store employee just performed a painless cashectomy using the newer iPod Touch-based portable point-of-sale terminal. Now, where is the printer for your receipt? Affixed under the table's main board, upside down, invisible. No unseemly display of non-Apple appliances. For the occasional cash transaction, foreign visitors mostly, a few tables also carry a barely visible cash drawer cut in the side.
Recently, stores reduced space dedicated to accessories, peripherals and, with the Mac App Store in mind, boxed software. This resulted in more room for something called Personal Setup, where an Apple employee helps a customer get started with his/her new purchase.
You get the idea: "Apple", meaning Jobs, is never satisfied, always looking for ways to improve its stores or, for that matter, anything else Apple.
In the end, in spite of his signal contribution to Apple's success, Johnson must have felt disenfranchised. Coming in, he brought with him expertise and contacts "Apple" didn't possess. Over time, Jobs' keen interest in the matter turned into heavy involvement in every facet of the operation. Apple Stores became Steve's brainchild, not Ron's. Hence his decision to look for an opportunity to be really in charge, as opposed to working for a gifted, focused and strong-willed visionary.
Now, why did Ron Johnson pick JC Penney?
He doesn't need the money, we're told he made about $400M working at Apple. And JC Penney, to say it politely, isn't the most attractive of US retailers. Once an American icon, JC Penney is now a tired chain. All the better, some say: Ron Johnson will bring some of the Apple magic and revive the company. This is drawing a very superficial comparison: the two kinds of retail establishments couldn't be further apart. Apple runs with a very small number of SKUs (Stock Keeping Units), a very short product line. Conventional retailers tens of thousands of different products. Apple is willing to spend tens of millions on a single store, JC Penney never did and very likely never will. Apple products are often elegant, if not iconic, not something that can be said of JC Penney's merchandise.
Further, it looks like Ron's CEO title isn't exactly endowed with full meaning: Reuters and the WSJ let us know his role will be "limited", at least initially, "focussed on marketing and merchandise selection, while Ullman [the real chief and chairman] will oversee the more common executive responsibilities of accounting, finance, corporate strategy and logistics …"
The Ullman in question is Myron (Mike) Ullman, age 64, a veteran retail executive with experience at LVMH's DFS (Duty Free Stores) business unit and RH Macy, among others. He also sits on the Board of Directors of companies such as Starbuck's and Global Crossings, and of several Bay Area charitable organizations.
Another unexplained datum is Ron's start date: 1 November. The most likely but hard to confirm explanation must lie in a paragraph of his Apple exit agreement.
When that date comes, we'll see if Mike Ullman really handles the reins to Ron or if the Apple alumnus finds himself working for yet another strong-willed boss.
Back to the Apple Stores and to Ron Johnson's legacy: quoting David Berman and his quarterly DeeBee Index, USA Today reports Apple contributed to 20% of "all sales growth by publicly traded retailers in the US", this for the first three months of 2011. One has to qualify the number a bit: it relates to publicly traded retailers only, not to the entire US retail sector. Still, keeping in mind the likes of Walmart are all publicly traded, Apple's share is surprisingly high.
We'll now more in a few days, when Apple releases its numbers for Q2, the April to June 2001 quarter.
— JLG@mondaynote.com
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Boot-up: Ordnance survey for Vince cable, reddit, and Twitter spam gold

Vince cable cares ordnance survey photography: Steve Parsons/PA
Quickly to chew over, as picked by the technology team burst of 10 links for you
"The Prime Minister has announced today that the ministerial responsibility for ordnance survey, in addition to land registry office and met passed Office innovation and skills (BIS) to the Department for business."
"Move the Government to the ordnance survey and the Government of customer functions by the Department for communities and local government."
"BIS Permanent Secretary, Martin Donnelly, welcomed the movement, creation of a public data Corporation (PDC), marked a step in the direction have been announced for the Government in January of this year."
Ordnance survey was never quite useful within DCLG. It will be interesting to see who is his ministers.
"Basically, I think that Twitter priorities are wrong here." Twitter needs a far more aggressive, automated, proactive, heuristic-based anti spam system. And if someone has the price have trouble getting legally tweeting, is not a link without text up to 100 people in a row, who follow them precisely 1 minute intervals only we pay.
"In the meantime never feature 'report spam' again, I use because it seems, as I waste my time am exactly."
This however assumes that spam on Twitter actively annoys people. There is no amount of prove, that it does though, because in contrast to e-Mail has reached not to the point where it significant share of a timeline - and every single spam account has actually tweeted the same person twice?
"More than 48 m mobile users accessed cards on their device in may, marking by 39% over the previous year." "A comparative look at map use under fixed Internet users (i.e. access to from a home or work computer) found that visitation may 2011 compared with the previous year plunge into a slight drop in the total audience 2%, and at the same time a much larger audience of 93.8 m visitors saw this show."
Give him a few quarters and mobile desktop.
"I have been for the most part, she use Android phones and tablets since the beginning, and I love." They work fine most of the time and are a pleasure to use. This is the case, until something goes wrong, and as [ZDNet colleague] discovered Scott, it is usually the result of a Google partner something on a specific device to change traffic jams to the pipes.
"I suspected this was the case, and it was proven to me when I switched recently to the Samsung nexus S 4 G." The nexus-S Google's flagship phone, and as such it bypasses all Samsung adjustments in favour of the stock Android running. This has a user experience led better than I, with other Android devices have experienced. "The operation of the phone is perfect, and the performance is stellar in every respect."
Perfect? Wow, that's pretty benchmark.
"In a note to investors Monday repeated report that research in motion may be plans to stop production of the BlackBerry textbook Wi-Fi model RBC capital markets Managing Director Mike Abramsky an OTR global." The Wi-Fi version of RIM Tablet research in motion is the only version currently manufacturers. "The reasons for the setting of the Wi-Fi Edition, Abramsky says, could be used to a pullback in production, a move that would align channel inventory with slower than expected sell-through, with a focus on upcoming cellularly in addition to RIM playbook versions."
* May * be considered. But some commentators on the post to point out that you can get a used textbook for much less than the recommended retail price.
Note: RIM has this completely denied, tweeting: "Pure Fiction." No plan to cease. "In fact, WiFi PlayBook starts in new countries practically every week."
As soon as Wednesday what? Oh, you mean... sure. Wonder, whether it instead, delay on the day so that its financial results of the papers on Wednesday morning wash, and then press ENTER again on Thursday.
"According to British Etailer clove, which is ZTE Skate sale 19 go in the United Kingdom on September, and it is now for pre-order, up to a tantalizing £ 250 prize." "Has a solid £ 100 to £ 200 cheaper than similar in size to rivals such as the HTC HD desire and S2 of Samsung Galaxy, and it's probably cheaper to Orange, where it go on numbers like you for a still its subsidized price confirmed."
ZTE (a Chinese ODM enabled OEM) will be a force to reckon with in the Smartphone market. Microsoft and Apple, likely have dates already posted their patent attorneys.
"Today we can add one other strange planets to the list [of extra-solar planets, that perhaps we could up life]: 55 Cancri f, one of the five planets an orange dwarf some cancer orbit 40 light-years away in the constellation known."
"Institute of technology in Pasadena, California and a few pals have measured its orbit exactly for the first time Kaspar von Braun at the California." These guys are in a position to confirm that 55 Cancri f is a real candidate to support liquid water.
"they say, although this planet is much more elliptical than the Earth, it spends the most of the time (74 percent) in the habitable zone."
Cook so we would just freeze / to death three months of the year? Save us a seat.
A year ago, reddit introduced a subscription program "" reddit gold. Clear the show, more visible, to start some other interaction benefits, for $4 / month or $30.
So, how has it gone?
"SeaMicro built shook up the world of data center computing through energy-efficient server to Intel's low-power Atom chips, used in Netbooks and notebooks." "For the third time in nine months, SeaMicro leads to a different line of servers that and a quarter of the electricity can pack a lot of computing power in one-sixth of the usual place."
Impressive: the key is that it not only go on the CPU but also the other chips, that burn stream, to take the 2 / 3 of consumption.
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Associated: Rustock botnet reduced when Microsoft offers $250,000 bounty

If you know the Rustock botnet creator Microsoft you will be rewarded. Photo: Image source/Rex features
Microsoft has released a price on the heads of criminals behind Rustock spam botnet: $250,000. It may not quite a lottery prize of eradicating riches, but for many of those who could be on the edge of legality, which can, know who are the people behind the Russian-based network, there is a sufficiently tempting piece of fruit.
In a blog post, Richard Boscovich, senior Attorney at the company of digital crimes unit says that "we believe that the Rustock should be considered for their actions to the responsibility of Bot herders."
Rustock, Boscovich stressed, was a notorious spam generator able to produce up to 30 spam e-Mails per day. Despite the series in March, which reduced the number of infected machines of 1.6 m to about 703,000, is still a long way to go.
The worst infected countries prior to the game series were India (322,000), Russia (94,000), Italy (54,000), the United States (86,000) and Turkey (89,000).
They are then India (99,000), the United States (56,000), Turkey (50,000), Italy (32,000) and Russia (27,000).
Boscovich adds that "Microsoft has already been of strong prove in our ongoing research has collection and this reward aims these efforts one step further." We will continue in this case follow, where it takes us and continues to work with our partners around the world to help, again over their Rustock infected computer. (For free information and resources to help clean your computer, please visit support.microsoft.com/botnets.)
Here are the cards (generated by OpenHeatMap of the number of infections.) Apart from the fact that the United States is moved from the second largest number of infections to the fourth-largest, there is not much change between the two. Perhaps surprisingly, India, remains the place with the most infections. The surprising missing? China. We want to know why it show up not there.
Ago...
Rustock infections by country, prior to take-down
..and after
Rustock infections, from country to country, according to take-down

How did they do? Twitter mood for 'Murdoch', 'Wood gate' and 'Wendi Deng'

How do things for Rupert and James Murdoch in Twitter view? How not too well, you might think. According to Twitter sentiment app engine moved their appearance most negative analysis - how you below, the results of the search for the Hashtag # hackgate and "Murdoch will see".
The idea of sentiment analysis is that you take a particular piece of text and find out, from the words used, and how they are put together, whether they express positive or negative feelings are about a certain phrase. It is a complex but promising research - especially for brands that know what to say to people about it on social networks. "They love us or they hate us on Twitter/Facebook/where?" That's what the marketing people need to know.
So here we go for "Murdoch", given the fact that they were pretty busy on Tuesday... Red is negative, green is positive.
Twitter sentiment analysis for 'Murdoch': mostly negative
And now for "# hackgate" on Twitter:
Sentiment analysis for "# hackgate" Twitter: negative
But.... Michael Brunton-Spall, one of the developers of the guardian, emphasizes the weakness in the analysis. He did a search on the phrase "News of the World" and concludes that it is "basically useless":
He says: "from the first page-"

' I really hope that news of the world-9/11 victims not hack' phones. I would be very excited. "

"is negative."

"' Mrs. Murdoch joined the Pieman ass." Bad news of the world has also disappeared. What a headline.'

"is negative."

"'@ _staralfur_ for the news of the world with headlines such as the works should.." Oh wait: p'

"is positive."
His conclusion: "Tweets are too small to analyze semantically, and the surrounding context is not specified, so it pretty much is an impossible task."
But he has good news: "nice [Devexpress] Although."
Then again.... If you are looking for Wendi Deng, a one-woman's rapid reaction force...
Twitter sentiment analysis for 'Wendi Deng': mostly positive
Hmm, mostly positive... That seems to reflect many peoples reactions to their intervention. To who else a Twitter sentiment analysis engine offer?