marketing

Fri
06
Dec
John Lister's picture

Mozilla Removes Security Extensions by Avast!, AVG

Mozilla has removed security tools from Avast and AVG from the Firefox extension store. It says the tools are collecting too much personal data about users. The extensions are third-party tools for the Firefox browser that add extra functionality to ... web browsing. In this case, the advertised purposes include highlighting and blocking malware that could be downloaded, and warning users when a page may be part of a phishing attack. That's where a user is tricked into typing in personal details into what they think is a legitimate site. Mozilla acted after online posts by Wladimir Palant, who ... (view more)

Thu
20
Apr
John Lister's picture

Bose Accused of Spying on Listening Habits

A proposed class action lawsuit accuses Bose of selling personal data about customers who use its wireless headphones. But the claims are unconfirmed and the argument may be somewhat overstated. Customer Kyle Zak made the complaint about Bose ... Connect, an app for iPhones and Android devices. The app isn't mandatory to use, but is designed to make it easier to switch between different headsets and speakers on a Bluetooth connection without needing to repeatedly pair and unpair the devices. Podcast Choices Could Be Revealing According to the lawsuit, Bose uses the app to collect details of ... (view more)

Mon
09
Jun
Brandon Dimmel's picture

'Creepy' Facebook Feature Listens to Your Activity

Facebook is facing a serious backlash over a new feature that allows it to listen in on its smartphone users. When activated, the feature uses the device's microphone to detect a user's activity and automatically updates their "status" accordingly. ... For example, if a user is listening to a new U2 album on their stereo in the background, Facebook will use a smartphone's microphone to update a user's status to "Listening to U2". It can also detect movies and television shows and update a user's status to read "Watching Iron Man" or "Watching ... (view more)

Fri
23
May
Brandon Dimmel's picture

Facebook Users Can Expect 'Privacy Checkup' Soon

Facebook wants its users to carry out regular 'privacy checkups' in hopes of winning back trust. The privacy checkup features allows users to choose how much of their personal information is visible to the general public, including photographs, ... email addresses, and smartphone numbers. According to The New York Times, Facebook's new privacy checkup is a response to user and investor concerns that the social networking site's privacy settings are too complicated , making it difficult for many users to protect their personal data. Privacy Checkup to Include Walkthrough of New App ... (view more)

Fri
03
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

Microsoft Lays Off 200 Marketing Employees

Microsoft's marketing division has undergone some significant changes in recent days, as the company laid off approximately 200 employees. Some of its most prominent Xbox marketing executives have even left for industry rival, Apple. According to ... reports, the recent layoffs were almost entirely limited to the Seattle area, and are designed to eliminate redundant positions and clear up where responsibilities lie. To many observers, it appears that Microsoft's goal in the restructuring is to improve the efficiency of the company's marketing. 3% Cut From Microsoft's Marketing Force It also ... (view more)

Thu
30
Sep
Dennis Faas's picture

Microsoft CEO Admits Kin Phone Was A Mistake

In a surprisingly frank admission, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has said the company's Kin phones were a mistake. Ballmer's comments were not so much about the handsets themselves, but rather the way they distracted the company's attention from the ... upcoming Windows Phone 7 system. Microsoft Kin Phone Fails to Catch On The company released two handsets, the Kin One and Kin Two, earlier this year after several years of development. Although the phones received positive reviews, they failed to catch on. The major problem: while they appeared to be aimed at teenagers and young adults, the Kins ... (view more)

Fri
25
Apr
Dennis Faas's picture

The Future of Internet Marketing Unveiled

If you want a quick peek into the future of Internet marketing, go to an Ad:Tech show. I went to the 'Ad:Tech Spring' held in San Francisco last week and the future of the Internet appears very bright. First, let me explain Ad:Tech. For 10 years, ... Ad:Tech has been the place to go for brand advertisers, agencies, online publishers, and, well, nerds, if they wanted to find out about who's doing what in the digital marketing arena. This year approximately 10,000 Internet marketers (or would-be Internet marketers) congregated at SFO's Moscone Center to hear papers like "Marketing with Downloadable ... (view more)

Wed
26
Apr
Dennis Faas's picture

Spyware Doctor: a Scam?

Infopackets Reader Glen H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I am a bit concerned about the kind of marketing engaged in by some of the software developers that you recommend -- PC Tools, for example. 'Get a free scan,' they say. And so you do, and they find ... 150 problems on your machine. Then they say, 'Buy our software and fix these problems.' I really think that this is deceptive marketing. If the company wants to give a free scan and clean, I would have no argument with that, but this sort of marketing 'come on' leads one to think that the first scan was a sham -- and it may very well have been. The ... (view more)

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