Boot up: Facebook prepares music offering, and Apple 'loses (another) iPhone prototype in (another) bar'

... And it reportedly happened on Steve Jobs's watch Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A quick burst of 10 links for you to chew over, as picked by the Technology team

"Facebook Inc. is preparing changes designed to make the site a hub for listening to music, watching movies and playing videogames, according to people familiar with the matter, in much the same way people already use the social network to share personal media like photos and videos."

Note: This isn't a music platform. It's not (really) an iTunes-rival.

"In a bizarre repeat of a high-profile incident last year, an Apple employee once again appears to have lost an unreleased iPhone in a bar, CNET has learned."

Photographer Thomas Hawk: "Flickr asked me if I wanted to apply it only to photos going forward, or also to images that I'd already geotagged. I told flickr to go ahead and apply this setting to all of my past and future photos -- which included a thumbnail of the photo I linked. So now when you go to this photo on flickr, indeed, the geotag seems to be removed from the photo page for the image.
"Except that there is one pretty major security hole.
"Although the geotag information is indeed pulled from the flickr photo page, ANYONE can potentially still get your geolocational data simply by downloading the original sized file and looking into the EXIF data.
"This only seems to apply to images that were geotaged at the file level (i.e. by you or your device/phone, etc.) and not photos geotagged using flickr -- but still, with cell phones and software that auto geotag things, you could easily be lulled into a false sense of security on Flickr when you should not be."

Truly, a website design that sticks two fingers up at you from its lair in the mid-90s.

Pointed out to us by John Dowdell of Adobe, the people who make Flash: details how baseball is being changed by the greater access to information about games. Guess how they access it.

Paul Thurrott, whom nobody would describe as an Apple fan, isn't very keen on the new Windows 8 Explorer ribbon idea: "The Microsoft post describing the new ribbon UI goes into great detail about telemetry data, which provides the company with information about what users are really using in Explorer and elsewhere in Windows. And according to that data, the top 10 commands represent over 81% of all commands used in Explorer. The bottom 18% of commands (by usage) include such things as Open, Edit (Menu), View Toggle, Organize, New Folder, Send To, and Edit.

"And yet, looking at a Microsoft screenshot of the new ribbon, what do I see in the default first tab? A bunch of commands - including Open and Edit, by the way - that are not in the 81% most-frequently used commands." Huh?"

He also described Apple's Finder as "much cleaner and less busy". That's really quite scary.

If you were wondering how Hot Spot and Snickometer worked in cricket...

Good graphic, though it obviously assumes that the software costs nothing to produce, and that the marketing and so on happen magically to give the "Apple's slice" element.

From early in August, but still relevant: "'With a large enterprise, you have to assume that people are going to get tricked into installing malware,' iSec CTO Alex Stamos told The Reg. 'You can't assume that you'll never have malware somewhere in a network. You have to focus on parts where a bad guy goes from owning Bob the HR employee to become Sally the domain admin.'
"At the heart of the Mac server's insecurity is a proprietary authentication scheme known as DHX that's trivial to override. While Mac servers can use the much more secure Kerberos algorithm for authenticating Macs on local networks, Stamos and fellow iSec researchers Paul Youn, Tom Daniels, Aaron Grattafiori, and William "BJ" Orvis found it was trivial to force OS X server to resort back to Apple's insecure protocol."

They also did a proof of concept. OSX Server is the weakest link. Then again, a similar flaw in Windows is what led to Google getting hacked in China in 2009.

"The average selling price for Double Data Rate 3 (DDR) in the 2-gigabit (Gb) density--the bellwether DRAM product--is projected to drop to $1.60 in the third quarter, down 24% from $2.10 in the second quarter. The dive would be the biggest decline for the year, following a surprisingly solid second quarter during which pricing fell only 5% from the first quarter. Moving into the fourth quarter, the price could plummet another 22% to $1.25--dangerously close to cash costs for many manufacturers. Only a year ago in the third quarter, pricing stood at $4.70."

There's been a fall in demand, while yields are about to rise. The money now is shifting towards NAND Flash.

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Skype calls on Facebook: A win-win-win

Mark Zuckerberg was in fine, jaunty form for last night's presentation about Facebook's new features. He looked more at ease and sounded more fluid than ever, rattling off an anecdote about a comment form a elderly neighbour who'd put in a request for video calling. Tick!

• Firstly - that main announcement of integrated Skype calling. The timing is absolutely right. Two of the biggest names in consumer web services, both mainstream enough to have major take up and at a time when consumers are finally beginning to overcome that inhibition about talking to their computers. Zuckerberg's anecdote about the elderly neighbour illustrated that, but I also know that when my Mum is talking about 'doing a Skype' that this really must have hit the mainstream.

Facebook demonstrates its new integrated Skype feature

• Zuckerberg made a fairly crude attempt to deflect attention away from those possibly stalling growth numbers. Active monthly unique users is no longer the metric of choice at Facebook Towers, he would like us to believe. He declared that to be so, despite confirming that Facebook has now reached 750 million users - so that's 250m added in less than one year. No doubt when Facebook does finally reach that one billion target, active monthly users will become de rigueur again, but until then, Zuckerberg wants us to believe that the volume of shared pieces of content is a better representation of activity on Facebook. And that's 4bn every day, doubling from this time last year.

• Off the back of that explosion in sharing, Zuckerberg mentioned that to support growth, Facebook would be establishing more data centres after it opened its first in April this year. No more detail, but he said: "We're definitely on this trend now where it makes sense for us given the scale of usage and the information flowing through the network where we're probably going to be building our own data centers, rather than leasing."

• He made several subtle but interesting digs at Google, cleverly reinforcing his strategy of describing Facebook as the default social infrastructure of the web on which all other services will deploy their social elements. Default MySpace friend Tom Anderson wrote a good post, published on Google+, about Zuckerberg's comments on Google, but it is also worth noting that Zuckerberg described Google+ as just another company experimenting with social tools. With a touch of humility, Zuckerberg conceded that if Facebook doesn't keep innovating, it will be a different social infrastructure company that takes its place.

• On the press call after the presentation I asked what the roadmap for the development of this feature looks like, especially given how exciting Skype calls within Facebook's mobile apps could be.

"Our philosophy to is to build the best experiences for people on Facebook and we want lots of those experiences as soon as we are able to build them," said Peter Deng, Facebook's video call project manager.

"I was part of the original team that built Facebook Chat back in 2007 and over time we've added more features, observed how people are using the service, what they like and don't like, understand what is the right move to make…. it's more of an iterative process [than a planned roadmap] when we do product development. We're going to try to get next features out as quickly as possible, but understand how people use those products first.

"We don't have a timeline to announce right now, but we're working on improvements already."

Video calls on mobile through the Facebook app would be a direct rival to Apple's FaceTime (still think that's a dreadful name) but with a powerful social driver to initiate calls from within Facebook. That's what makes the video call so compelling from within Facebook though that said, I think many people might have the same reaction as me - to thoroughly review and clean up their Facebook contacts. Hovering over profile thumbnails and bringing up the 'video chat' option made me realise how few of these contacts I'd really what to talk to! If we haven't spoken since school, there's probably a reason for that. But that's for another day.

• From the analysts:

Ovum's Eden Zoller said Facebook/Skype is a blow to Google and Google+ Hangout. "We would expect the Facebook's video chat service to develop a strong mobile play given that at least half of Facebook's user base interact with the social network via mobile and also because Microsoft is determined to take Skype in this direction. A deepening Facebook, Microsoft and Skype alliance is on the cards and is a powerful prospect and one that will keep Google awake at night."

Frost & Sullivan's Jake Wengroff noted on Twitter that as only 6% of Skype users pay for services, the tie-up is unlikely to make anyone any cash. It's about strategic alliances. "I see it as a way for MSFT, Skype's new owner, to find a way to work with FB."

Colin Gills at BGC said it vindicated Microsoft's $8.5bn acquisition of Skype: "This deal helps explain the purchase price… Facebook is going to drive ubiquity for Skype."

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Boot-up: Facebook buys e-book publisher, largest State cyberattacks, and more

Mark Zuckerberg... we know, he is an avid reader, but... Photo: Christian Alminana/WireImage

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

This is a major problem for Amazon: "Amazon main function by far was their free app on the day promotion." Publicly say their terms, that they also pay developers, the 20% of the asking price of an APP, if they give it way free. For consumers and naive developers alike, this seems like a great opportunity, somewhat less frequently make the Android world: real money. "But here is the dirty secret of Amazon do not know they pay a single cent not developers."

"Security experts have the largest number of cyber-attacks to date, discovered, the penetration of networks of 72 organizations such as the United Nations, Governments and businesses around the world."

McAfee said it was only a State behind all the attacks show but rejected to the finger. A security researcher apparently informed on the study, said that the evidence on China shows. More than on you, China.

Still, the most plausible theory is that it is more about the talent behind the product as the product itself.

"Integrated even though Facebook is to launch digital books publishing not intended, the ideas and technology behind pop press push with Facebook, the people are even richer ways to share their stories." "With millions of people every day on Facebook to publish we think it will be a large house for pop press push."

"The Exec summary: an image resizing utility named timthumb.php is widely used by many WordPress themes." Google shows results over 39 million for the script name. "If your WordPress theme with an unmodified timthumb.php is bundled, how many commercial and free themes are, should you immediately either remove or edit and set $AllowedSites array to be empty."

"The results suggested that Internet Explorer surfer lower had an average IQ of the 1980s." Chrome, Firefox and Safari had a rating of 100, while minority browser "exceptionally higher" score Opera and Camino one of more than 120.
"AptiQuant stressed that use that does not, that you have low intelligence."What it really says is, if you have a low IQ, there are high chances that you use Internet Explorer "AptiQuant CEO Leonard Howard said.

No, not please it once again to explain him.

Health warning: This proved a false story.

Recalls that Microsoft protestations, (a good thing, because it really in the year 2005 began, everything what has happened was two rebranding projects since then) is in the long term in Bing not much mean, if you define "Success" or, if you enter 'long term'.

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Facebook destroy children's brains | Martin Robbins @ mjrobbins

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter a generation of young adults vulnerable to degeneration of the brain have left, we can exclusively reveal for the fifth time about. Self obsession, short attention span and are childlike desire for constant feedback, according to a ' top scientists ' with no record of scientific research on the issue.

Repeated exposure to the Internet leaves people with an 'identity crisis', want attention in the way of a small child said: 'Look at me, Mummy', or a scientist touting their latest brain fart in the national press.

The scientists believe that the use of the Internet and computer games could caused the brain to "rewire" to establish neurons, new connections and routes. "Rewiring itself is something that of course constantly doing the brain," said the Professor, "but the phrase ' to wiring brain ' sounds really dramatic and cool, so I want to it makes it seem like I'm talking about a profound and unnatural change, even if it is not used."

This wiring of to result in lower concentration can, really loud talk a need for instant gratification, poor non-verbal skills, and the habit of such as Alistair Stewart, research, yet still not carried out.

"I think it is really important, that people are scared not of horror stories about new technology, and I've been a big proponent of brain training software in the past," said the scientist, "but brains of people literally melt in their heads all MyFace waves appear."

In a controversial step, the daily mail popular science magazine published the academic results before she had actually been found. "In science I faced much prejudice of colleagues," she said, oh you did not research "they say" you have no evidence, "but really, they are just jealous of my fashion sense." Publication in the mail won't let me rise above all the petty politics and fact-check-in science, and just say, ' this is the truth, bitches. "

In response to criticism by Ben Goldacre, guardian, she said "he believes, his hair's better than mine." It is not. Also, I don't think that it is real. Who is he anyway? Is he a top scientist? "No."

The scientists who did not actually use Twitter, said: "what worries me is the banality of so much that goes out there." Why should someone interested in what someone else for breakfast has eaten? "My friend told me what they had for dinner the other day, and I told them 'fuck off' before the phone suggested below."

"That used high-profile academics, often the media as a platform, push to their theories of the public, suggested that some Facebook users the need to ' mini celebrities", the seen and admired by others on a daily basis. "they do things the" media "are worthy, because" to know people over it"is the only way that they themselves can define", she told tabloid journalist.

After their successful relocation of journals of the e-Mail, the Professor will take the next logical step to publish their future research through the medium of romantic fiction.

(The following is actually, Ernst, true)

You working impact on humans and the idea that young adults into zombie like "Cyber people" before our eyes on her first novel, based on their interest in the technology.

"Cyber people not robots", she explained to the evening standard, "It is that they spend their time connection with technology, so that they are uncomfortable with relationships." So, it necessarily has a setback. "We should be the masters of the technology, not the server."

The protagonist is based on Winston Smith in George Orwell's 1984. 22 century neuroscientists with three women in his life, really.

(As you say, I have the will, these stories more seriously lost.) ("For more serious rebuttals of the whole ' Facebook melt your brain", which see Ben Goldacre my old piece here or here).

- - - - - - - -
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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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Skype calls Facebook: a win-win-win

Mark Zuckerberg was OK, jaunty form for last night presentation on Facebook new features. He is probably more and sound looked more fluid than ever, rattles from an anecdote about a comment form an older neighbors, which would put in a request for video calls. Tick!

• First - integrated the most important announcement of Skype call. The timing is absolutely right. Mainstream both enough to major take two of the biggest names in the consumer Web services, to and at a time as consumers finally begin that have to overcome inhibition about talking to their computers. Zuckerberg of the anecdote about the older neighbors illustrated that, but I also know that if my mother 'do a Skype' speaks, that this really must have hit the mainstream.

Facebook shows his new integrated Skype function
• Zuckerberg attempted a rather rough, of which growth figures may distract stalling. Active monthly unique users is no longer the metric of choice on Facebook towers, he would like us to believe. He said that, despite confirmed that Facebook has reached now 750 million users, so that added 250 m in less than a year. The volume of the shared parts of the content is certainly as Facebook achieved this objective a billion finally monthly active users will again be University events, but until then, Zuckerberg believe us, that wants a better representation of the activity on Facebook. And that is to double 4 every day from this time last year.

• From the back of this explosion in the load sharing, Zuckerberg, that to support growth, Facebook would be mentioned more data centers, after it opened for the first time in April of this year. No more detail, but he said: "we are definitely this trend now where it makes sense for us given the scale of use and the information that flows through the network, where we're probably going to build our own data centers, rather than leasing."

• He made several subtle but interesting digs at Google, reinforce its strategy to describe Facebook as the standard sent social infrastructure of the Web on which all other services will provide its social elements. Standard MySpace friend Tom Anderson has a good post on Google +, which Zuckerberg published comments on Google, but it is also worth mentioning that Zuckerberg Google + experiment with social tools described as just another company. With a touch of humility, Zuckerberg, admitted that if not innovatively to keep Facebook, it will be a variety of social infrastructure companies, taking his place.

• To the press calling for the presentation, I asked what looks like the agenda for the development of this function, could in particular specified mobile such as exciting Skype calls within Facebook applications.

"Our philosophy is the best experience for people to build on Facebook and we many want this experience, once we that can create", said Peter Deng, Facebook video call project manager.

"I was part of the original team built the Facebook chat 2007, and in the course of time we have more features, observed how people use the service added what they like and don't like, what are the right move to make…. rather, it is an iterative process [as a planned Roadmap] if we do product development." We try to next features out, as soon as possible, but understand how people use these products first.

"We have no timeline, now to announce, but we are working on improvements already."

Video calls on mobile by the Facebook app would be a direct competitor of Apple's FaceTime (still think is the terrible name), but to initiate with a powerful social driver, calls from within Facebook. Making the video entertainment so convincingly from within Facebook but what said, I think that many people thoroughly check the same reaction as me - and clean you your Facebook contacts might have. Floating profile thumbnails and education of the video chat option made me realize how little I really to talk about what had these contacts! If we have spoken since school not, it's probably a reason. But that's for another day.

• From the analysts:
The egg Eden ZOLLER said that Facebook/Skype a blow to Google and Google + meeting point is. "We expect the Facebook video chat service, to develop a strong mobile game, given the fact that at least half of Facebook users with the social network of mobile interact and also because Microsoft on Skype is determined in this direction." "A deepening, Facebook, Microsoft and Skype Alliance is on the cards and is a powerful view, and one by Google will wake up at night."

Frost & Sullivan's Jake Wengroff noted on Twitter that as numbers is unlikely, only 6% of Skype users for services, the tie-up that someone all to make money. It concerns strategic alliances. "I see it as a way for MSFT, Skype new owner, a path with FB work find."

Colin gills on BGC said it $8 billion confirms Microsoft's acquisition of Skype: "helps explain the purchase praise is to drive this business Facebook Ubiquity for Skype."

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