What does 7 Billion People Mean? & Congressional War on the Internet
What does 7 Billion People Mean?
This morning news broke that there are now 7 billion people inhabiting planet Earth. And how do we celebrate this momentous occasion? Create an app.
National Geographic released an app today called “7 Billion.” The iPad app is part of National Geographic‘s year-long series on the world’s new population number. The app provides charts, infographics, photos and videos on everything from how income and the average number of children impacts per-country population growth, to what the 7 billion people means for our food and resource supplies. For example, it would take you 200 years to count to 7 billion aloud, and in 2045, there will be 9 billion people.
As our population continues to grow, resource supply will undoubtedly become an issue. We expect to see a rise in marketing campaigns centered on reducing and recycling our waste.
Congressional War on the Internet
Copyright infringement is a hot-topic, highlighted by recent cases such as Apple and Samsung’s recent battle over the iPhone design. The United States Congress is taking steps to more effectively traffic copyright infringement in the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act. This law, if passed, would give governments and private corporations unprecedented powers to remove websites from the internet, and would force internet service providers to play the role of copyright police.
Additionally, the proposed bill would allow copyright holders to push for websites and services to be removed from search engine results and to have their supply of advertising cut. This bill could create a sticky situation for corporations and more importantly, internet service providers, as government and copyright holders can pursue websites they believe are infringing on their content and take action without a court hearing.
If passed, this would create an entirely new version of the Internet, as we know it today. The beauty and appeal of the Internet is that anyone can post and find information they need.
We will closely monitor this issue, and be sure to report any updates as they are available.
Redbox Raises Rental Prices & Unthink: New Anti-Facebook Social Network
Redbox Raises Rental Prices
Redbox’s DVD rental kiosks have grown in popularity lately, attracting customers fed up with Netflix’s video subscription service. Now Redbox is risking its own customer backlash by raising prices, the same move that triggered Netflix’s recent loss of 800,000 U.S. subscribers.
Yesterday, Redbox announced a 20 percent price increase, making the rental rate $1.20 per day, instead of the current $1 daily rate. Redbox prices will remained unchanged for Blu-ray discs at $1.50 per day and video games at $2 per day. Redbox tested the price increases in several cities over the past year, and concluded that a 20% price increase would not drastically affect DVD rentals.
In order to maintain customer loyalty, Redbox must continue to offer transparency and honesty in all of their business changes.
New Anti-Facebook Social Network Launches
A newly launched social network Unthink, nick-named the “anti-Facebook,” aims to emancipate social media and give users complete control over their personal data. The new site, unthink.com, allowed users to register for a beta version yesterday.
They also release a promotional video criticizes other social networks like Facebook and Google+ for “spying” on users and selling too many ads. Unthink makes all user data private by default. Users may then allow others to see the information they want public, and keep private anything they want private.
Additionally, Unthink will never sell user data to companies. Instead, users can choose to have specific brands “sponsor” their pages. Within the first 24 hours of its launch, Unthink received heavy traffic from all over the world. The stream of traffic shows that many users are interested in an alternative to Facebook, which we saw before with Google+.
Video Pick of the Week
When I first saw this week’s video, I was amazed. Then, I realized how unrealistic it is. Nonetheless, it is a clever and entertaining way to show the power and strength of Nissan pickup trucks.
Enjoy this week’s Video Pick of the Week, and be sure to check back next week!
Cold Play Streams Live Concert on YouTube
The future of live music is here. Yesterday, Coldplay performed live in Spain while simultaneously broadcasting a live concert experience on YouTube.
Online viewers were able switch between several different camera views including a director’s cut, main stage and an aerial camera. The live stream also featured a chat pulling in comments and posts from people around the world.
While this is not the first time YouTube has hosted live streaming of music, it is a great example of making live music both international, and social for fans in various geographic locations.
We look forward to seeing other bands embrace these social tools to create more user friendly listening experiences.
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Links Shared on StumbleUpon Live Longer
A new report released by StumbleUpon shows the level of activity that’s added to a link when shared through its website.
StumbleUpon is a website that allows people to “stumble” through web content based on a broad spectrum of categories.
According to the study, a link shared on StumbleUpon receives 83 percent more “likes” on Facebook than if shared on Facebook alone. Additionally, a link’s half-life (the point in time where it accrues half of its total engagement) is 400 hours on StumbleUpon but only 3.2 hours on Facebook.
This information proves extremely valuable, especially as the demand for content marketing and sharing is growing in the marketing industry.
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NextDoor Creates Social Network for Neighborhoods
A new start-up, NextDoor, is bringing private social networks to the neighborhood level so that people can share relevant hyper-local information.
According to a recent Pew Research study, three-fifths of people know only some or none of their neighbors’ names.
“People who don’t know their neighbors can now put a name to the face and have something to talk about rather than the weather,” says Nirav Tolia, co-founder and CEO of NextDoor.
The interface looks like Facebook, and offers a stream of updates and conversations. The information on NextDoor will include: lost pets, babysitter information, burglary alerts, garage sales, etc.
A main feature of the site is privacy, which is often criticized on Facebook. Users must use their real identities and have to live within a certain geographic community to join that associated NextDoor community. Additionally, all addresses must be verified before a user can join.
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Hackers Obtain Information for Overall Good
Hackers are often painted in the media as “the bad guys.” However, what happens when their hacking unveils information highlighting possible corporate corruption?
Over the past few weeks, hackers have ironically done much good for our country. They have posted personal information about Robert Rubin, former Goldman Sachs executive and Treasury Secretary under the Clinton Administration.
In light of the Occupy Wall Street protests, information has been posted on Wall Street executives such as: JPMorgan’s CEO Jamie Dimon, Goldman Sachs’ CEO Lloyd Blankfein, and Bank of America’s CEO Brian Moynihan.
Additionally, a hacker posted personal information about a New York police officer who is accused of pepper spraying female protesters during an Occupy Wall Street protest.
The information these hackers are uncovering is vital information that in some cases, even authorities have not been able to access.
As hackers continue to unveil information obtained in illegal ways, we expect a decision to be made at a higher level regarding the authenticity of information.
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Empathy for ‘Occupy’
By: Jay Osterholm, founder and CEO of The ODM Group
Occupy Wall Street protesters have made City Hall their home for nearly a month now. Peacefully protesting their cause, the most beautiful monument in our city has quickly transformed into a modern-day tent city.
Police surveillance is provided 24/7, as our government’s number one responsibility is to keep our citizens safe. But at was cost? A Philadelphia media outlet recently reported that Occupy Wall Street protests are costing tax payers $33,000 in overtime each day.
Each day.
This number is astronomical, especially when you consider the condition of our public schools, the fact we often cannot afford to plow streets when it is snowing, etc. But, that is another post, for another day.
When Occupy Wall Street began in New York City, it was largely ignored by the media, mostly because the protesters did not have permits so many did not view it as a legitimate cause.
While they still may not have permits, or any real sense of organization, Occupy Wall Street has successfully gained all of our attention, including the media and social media.
All of the buzz around these protests had me thinking. Protests in London earlier this year were quickly stopped by police force, which ultimately led to violence. The same is true with Egypt. What began as people coming together to form a revolution turned very dangerous for all involved.
Violence is relatively unseen in Occupy Wall Street protests. The first arrests in Philadelphia came just this week, when 17 people had a sit-in outside police headquarters.
How could this be? Especially over such a divisive issue?
If you ask me, it is because we empathize with these people, and more importantly the cause. Whatever side you are on, the 99% or the 1%, this protest represents the plight of all those suffering in our country and abroad.
While it may be affecting each of us differently, the financial condition of our world is hard to ignore. Consider Greece, which is on the brink of default, again.
The First Amendment guarantees us the right to peaceably assemble, and petition the Government. But that alone cannot explain the power of this movement. Occupy Wall Street has struck a chord with people, tapping into both emotional and human appeal.
And at the end of the day, that is the beauty of our species. Our ability to empathize with one another, communicate and join together to make a difference.
