US Secret Service agents escort Barack Obama. He didn't put the software on machines in an Apple store. Photograph: Jason Reed/ReutersA burst of 9 links for you to chew over, as picked by the Technology team
"Artist Kyle McDonald installed a program on computers in two New York Apple Store locations that automatically takes a photo every minute. Now his personal computers have been confiscated by the U.S. Secret Service."
Artist has bad idea. Has quality of idea forcibly demonstrated to him. Perhaps next time, ask first?
"The innocent-seeming "1 Tip" ad is actually the tip of something much larger: a vast array of diet and weight-loss companies hawking everything from pills made from African mangoes to potions made from exotic acai berries. Federal officials have alleged that the companies behind the ads make inflated claims about their products and use deceptive means to market them. "The take so far: at least $1 billion and counting. "The "1 Tip" ads are the work of armies of "affiliates," independent promoters who place them on behalf of small diet-product sellers with names such as HCG Ultra Lean Plus. The promoters profit each time someone clicks through to the product seller's site and orders a free sample. The sample, however, isn't always so free."
"This is a crucial summer for Android. It rose to prominence as the anti-iPhone, but has managed to unite Apple, Microsoft, and Research in Motion in a consortium of competitors who are trying to hit Google in its most vulnerable spot. "As [Andy] Reback related years ago, modern patent litigation isn't really all that different from a protection racket: you pay, or you get hurt. If Google wants to keep the Android miracle rolling, it's going to have to find a way to offer its own brand of protection before its partners opt for peace of mind over loyalty."
The question is, what?
Read it, and then write your own punchline.
"As Twitter raises even more money, it's getting more serious about making money. The service is set to start showing ads in users' "timelines" within the next month, following through on plans it has talked about for more than a year.
"Twitter is pushing a new ad product called "Promoted Tweets To Followers," set to launch by early August."
This will either go very well (nobody will notice them) or catastophically (everyone will notice them).
"The day would simply feel incomplete without a spicy rumor about the next iPhone, and today's is a spicy one indeed. According to a photo that surfaced on the web yesterday, the next iPhone iteration will be known as the iPhone 5, but the more interesting part is that the smartphone will pack dual cameras on its back, presumably for capturing 3D photos and videos."
Which a bit of playing with Photoshop reveals as fake. Isn't there a site where you can upload photos to see their fake-ness?
Fascinating, detailed read.
"From Brazil to France to Australia to India, new laws and platforms are giving citizens new means to ask for, demand or simply create greater government transparency. The open data movement has truly gone global, with 19 international open data websites live around the globe. This week, the world will see another open government platform go live in Kenya."
Amazing.
"Omar Khan, the Samsung CTO who was responsible for the rise of the GalTab and other Android-powered smartphones, is moving to Citibank to handle that company's global digital banking initiatives. He will be replaced by Nick Dicarlo and Gavin Kim in 'product and service spokesperson responsibilities for Samsung Mobile.'"
Techcrunch suggests this indicates a certain amount of "political infighting". Or, possibly, not a big enough raise?
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