As developers for tablets and smartphones we like to keep abreast of the latest mobile technology developments . This is a daily digest of mobile development and related technology news gathered from the BBC, the New York Times, New Scientist and the Globe and Mail to name a few. We scour the web for articles concerning, iPhone, iPad and android development, iOS and android operating systems as well as general articles on advances in mobile technology. We hope you find this useful and that it helps to keep you up to date with the latest technology developments.
Uber Raises Fares During Sydney Hostage Crisis, Then Offers Free Rides
Uber prices jumped in the Sydney Central Business District on Monday as people tried to flee the scene of a hostage crisis, leading to heavy criticism of the company on social media.
The company’s minimum fare out of Martin Place hit $100, four times the normal $25 minimum, Mashable reported.
Uber said it would still compensate drivers based on its “surge pricing” model, but that users of the service would get one free ride out of the area. Those who paid would also get refunds, the company said.
In a statement, the company explained that “surge pricing is used to encourage more drivers to come online and pick up passengers from the area.”
On Twitter, Uber said the surge pricing model is automated, based on demand. Once the company realized what was happening, it took action to correct it.
@Mr_Odin @JonnyPut surge pricing is automated. When we became aware of the situation we capped surge pricing and made rides free for riders.
— Uber Sydney (@Uber_Sydney) December 15, 2014
Sony Demands News Outlets Stop Publishing Information From Leaked Documents
By Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Sony Pictures Entertainment told certain news organizations on Sunday to stop publishing information contained in documents stolen by hackers who attacked the movie studio’s computer network last month, three media groups reported.
The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety published stories reporting that they had each received a letter from David Boies, an attorney for Sony, demanding that the outlets stop reporting information contained in the documents and immediately destroy them.
The studio “does not consent to your possession, review, copying, dissemination, publication, uploading, downloading or making any use” of the information, Boies wrote in the letter, according to the New York Times report.
A Sony spokesman had no comment on the reports. Representatives for Variety and The Hollywood Reporter could not immediately be reached via email on Sunday.
New York Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy said: “Any decisions about whether or how to use any of the information will take into account both the significance of the news and the questions of how the information emerged and who has access to it.”
A spokesman for Boies confirmed he sent a letter to certain media outlets on behalf of Sony but declined to discuss details.
Disclosures from the internal documents have caused turmoil at the studio, a unit of Japan’s Sony Corp, and shed light on internal discussions key to the company’s future. For instance, the unidentified hackers have released troves of documents that include employee salaries and financial information, marketing plans and contracts with business partners.
In addition, the documents that have emerged included an exchange in which Co-Chairman Amy Pascal joked about President Barack Obama’s race. After media outlets reported that, Pascal subsequently issued a public apology for “insensitive and inappropriate” emails.
Pascal is scheduled to meet this week with civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton, whose spokeswoman says he is weighing whether to call for her resignation. Pascal did not respond to a request for comment, and a Sony spokeswoman declined to comment on Pascal’s future.
Sony, in a memo to staff seen by Reuters on Dec. 2, acknowledged that a large amount of data was stolen by the hackers but has declined to confirm specific documents.
Over the weekend, a message claiming to be from the Guardians of Peace, a group that says it carried out the cyber attack on Sony, warned of additional disclosures.
“We are preparing for you a Christmas gift,” said the message posted on a site for sharing files called Pastebin. “The gift will be larger quantities of data. And it will be more interesting.” (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
Space games start to take off
How to conquer the galaxy on a computer
Trying To Swim In A Sea Of Social Media Invective
Over the last few months, I’ve watched friends and colleagues endure endless harassment on Twitter. Strangers have hurled offensive, racist names and gendered insults, relentlessly and with little fear of consequence. I’ve come across blog posts that capture similarly awful experiences.
Lumia 635 Only $99 at Microsoft Stores Today
Today is day 7 of the Microsoft store 12 Days of Deals and it another great one. Today you can get the Lumia 635 Windows Phone for only $99, unlocked. Normally it is $179 so this is a huge discount. If you want to buy it online, you still get a great deal as it is only $129. The Lumia 635 is a great, budget friendly Windows Phone and one I have no reservations in recommending for those looking for a good all around devices. Here is my review of the Lumia 635. Lumia 635 – $129 Online ($99 in
The post Lumia 635 Only $99 at Microsoft Stores Today appeared first on Clinton Fitch.
Briefly: Bookbook case for iPhone 6, Dropbox badge early access
TwelveSouth has announced the release of its Bookbook wallet case for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Comprised of genuine leather, the wallet case additionally functions as a hands-free stand, and disguises one’s iPhone to look like a vintage book. The Bookbook features a removable shell that protects the enclosed iPhone from damage. Priced at $60, the Bookbook for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is available in black and brown.
Briefly: New iPhone cases introduced from SwitchEasy, NewerTech
SwitchEasy has announced the upcoming release of three new iPhone cases: the Camo and Boombox for iPhone 6, and Numbers for iPhone 6 Plus. The Camo is created by way of 3D printing, and features a camouflage aesthetic. Aiming to protect an iPhone from wear and tear without adding additional bulk, the Camo case is priced at $20 and will be available in blue, yellow and orange.
Sony Hackers Stole Script From New James Bond Film
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Early villains have emerged in the next James Bond film “SPECTRE”: hackers who stole a version of the screenplay as part of a devastating cyberattack on Sony Pictures.
Producers of the James Bond films said they learned on Saturday morning that an early version of the “SPECTRE” script was among material stolen and made public by hackers who infiltrated computers at the Sony studio.
“Eon Productions is concerned that third parties who have received the stolen screenplay may seek to publish it or its contents,” Eon said in a statement, while warning that the script is protected by U.K. copyright laws.
“SPECTRE,” starring Daniel Craig as 007, is set for release on Nov. 6, 2015. Filming began this month after producer Barbara Broccoli and director Sam Mendes unveiled the title, cast and new car, but little about the plot.
“I was so excited to tell this story but to explain why, I would have to tell you the plot and I can’t do that,” said Mendes at the presentation in England, a reminder of Sony’s might in the movie world.
The Bond franchise is one of the most lucrative for Sony Pictures and the last installment “Skyfall” brought in $1.1 billion worldwide, more than any other Bond film.
A Sony spokesman said news reports that the cyberattack forced the studio to stop production on films, including “SPECTRE,” were wrong.
“Productions are still moving forward,” Robert Lawson told Reuters.
Hackers launched an attack on the Sony Corp. entertainment arm on Nov. 24, disabling the computer network and stealing and leaking a trove of sensitive information in the most severe cyberattack on a company on U.S. soil. The identity of the hackers has yet to be determined.
(Reporting by Mary Milliken in Los Angeles and Mike Davidson in London; Editing by David Gregorio)
New Marvel Star Krysten Ritter Is As Addicted To Comics As She Is To 'Serial'
It’s a good thing that Krysten Ritter has been cast as superhero Jessica Jones because now she’s “hooked” on comics.
The “Big Eyes” actress, who was recently announced as the lead in Netflix’s upcoming Marvel series “A.K.A. Jessica Jones,” told Cosmopolitan that she wasn’t previously a comic book fan. To prepare for the role of the superhero-turned-private-investigator, Ritter just started reading the “Jessica Jones” comics, and she’s “devouring them.”
Just how addicted to the comics is she? Ritter compared her comic book reading to her love of “Serial,” the NPR podcast everyone is going crazy over. “I don’t think I’ve been so hooked on something since ‘Serial,’” Ritter told the magazine about the “Jones” comics. And we all know how obsessed people are with “Serial.”
For the full interview, head to Cosmopolitan.
15 Magical Moments That Happened At The 2014 iHeart Radio Jingle Ball
As the classic song goes, it’s “Christmas time in the city” and the lyrics couldn’t have been more true last night, as your favorite stars officially welcomed the holidays during the iHeart Radio Jingle Ball in New York City.
The concert included epic performances by Pharrell, Charli XCX and of course, new(ish) New Yorker Taylor Swift, who also rang in her 25th birthday while on stage at Madison Square Garden. But in case you missed it, we’ve rounded up the most *~mAgIcAl~* six-seconds-or-less moments that took place.
1. When this girl showed off her sick dance moves while rocking out with Pharrell:
2. Four words: “SCREAMING, CRYING, PERFECT STORMS”
3. That time when everyone was losing their shizz to “Shake It Off” — and that one dude in the back was just not feeling it:
4. When Charli XCX boomed and clapped like a goddess:
5. When Ariana Grande danced in reindeer antlers:
6. When Shawn Mendes adorably serenaded the crowd, making everyone ~swoon~:
7. When T-Swift glittered in a plaid crop top while singing “We Are Never Ever, Ever Getting Back Together”:
8. When Ari blew the crowd a kiss:
9. When Jessie J looked like she was having the best night of her life dancing to “Bang Bang”:
10. When Rita Ora couldn’t hear herself because there was so much noise:
11. When Gwen Stefani and Pharrell sparked the fire together on stage:
12. When the boys of 5 Seconds of Summer casually hung out in a snow globe:
13. When Ansel Elgort giggled while biting a heart-shaped lollipop:
14. When Nick Jonas paused to take a Very Important phone call:
15. When Ariana rapped Nicki Minaj’s part like a pro in “Bang Bang”:
Slay, Ari, slay.
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Will Robotics Breed a New Generation of Super Professionals?
Every year, there are a few unavoidable topics as you scroll through your newsfeed. Throughout 2014, a main one has been industrial automation — specifically how the expected sharp rise in robotics investments over the coming years has the potential to cause mass unemployment in the industrial sector. Fear mongers and more rational thinkers alike seem to agree there’s cause for concern.
However, while the next generation of industrial automation is poised to make some jobs obsolete, it’s important to remember this isn’t the first major industrial transformation. And if the past has taught us anything, it’s that technological evolution is consistently accompanied by workforce evolution. There may be fewer jobs in the future, but there will also be more skill requirements as well as higher pay.
The question is: Will automation enable a generation of super industrial professionals?
Centuries of Technological and Workforce Advancement
If you look back at the history of advancement in the industrial sector, every year seems to be more exciting than the last. The graphic below based on research from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence details some of these advancements, over the course of four industrial revolutions from the 1700s through present day and into the future.
Although the graphic focuses mainly on technology leading up to what many today are calling “Industry 4.0,” it leaves out workforce–the people developing and using the technologies. If it were to discuss the workforce, it wouldn’t be too far off to have a similar key on the side that read “Degree of Knowledge and Power of Workers,” because increasing technology complexity tends to be an enabler of this.
At each transition point along the way, worker count tended to decrease in what was the primary area, but growth was experienced in consequent engineering, “programming,” and maintenance areas. Initially, it was a shift away from the lone craftsman, with very low volume, to higher volume. But then companies needed mechanical engineers to design for steam power and mechanics. Fast forward into the future with robots and IoT, and it will be embedded systems design engineers, and other highly-skilled techs to keep it all running and moving forward.
Where we are today, at the beginning of Industry 4.0, is largely characterized by the unprecedented convergence of virtual and real words, rapidly increasing connectivity, an onslaught of structured and unstructured data, and–most relevant to this discussion–advancements in industrial automation. The impact to workers and businesses in each of these areas is significant, especially in the latter.
For businesses, fact of the matter is, it’s starting to make more sense to invest in robotics. In the right scenarios, the ROI could exceed that of a human worker. The challenge is, those scenarios tend to be where a large chunk of industrial professionals make their living–doing things that are repeatable like assembly and order fulfillment–hence, the socioeconomic implications and the newsfeed buzz.
Addressing the Changing and Evolving Workforce
For anyone skeptical about the shift toward more automation and less humans, MIT Technology Review shared an infographic back in August that puts things into perspective. It shows dramatic change in some nations’ workforce, and this data was based on 2009 through 2012. Much has changed since then.
But this isn’t necessarily the worst of news. Gary Frank, VP of Automated Systems at Westfalia Technologies Inc., commented on the issue of workers being replaced by robots in a recent article he wrote for Automation.com.
He said, “Contrary to the commonly held belief that automation technology is destroying millions of jobs and displacing workers across the country, today’s job market is not vanishing, but rather evolving. While there are surely some jobs rendered obsolete due to automation, workers are still needed, but for higher-level, more tech-related jobs.”
So, what may be worse news is this: With so many baby boomers expected to retire in the next ten to 15 years, and the slow pace of younger people choosing industrial careers, this is a concerning time for such a transformation to happen. A skills gap has been emerging in recent years, and the rise of robotics and other forms of next-gen industrial automation is poised to only widen that gap if nothing changes.
The Robots Are Coming! What Needs to Change?
If all continues down the path toward more automation, several things can be deduced from the points above.
First, there may have never been a better time for younger generations to start down the path toward a manufacturing career–skills not only equal job security, but also probably increasingly higher pay over time. I’ve discussed how we can attract the youth to manufacturing numerous times before, and I don’t expect we’ll stop discussing it in the near future. Thanks to many businesses, communities, manufacturers, universities, associations, and municipalities, we seem to be moving in the right direction.
Second, many workers in the industrial setting have already been impacted by automation. The result has not necessarily been to replace them, but rather for their responsibilities to evolve. For instance, especially in smaller plants, it’s not totally uncommon for the maintenance tech or a machine operator to also participate in quality audits. With more free time, value has to be added somewhere. The key is for workers to always adapt their skillset and remain relevant to the organization.
And finally, it should not go without saying that although manufacturing organizations will be recruiting for and funding these highly-skilled jobs, they are not without guilt when it comes to the lack of eligible workers. Despite the very cool technology that many younger people would be happy to work with, manufacturing definitely has an image problem, and it’s largely going to fall on these companies to communicate that it’s not the same as it used to be.
So, What About the Super Industrial Professionals?
As jobs become more technology and service-based, average workers will be skilled in ways which prior generations couldn’t have dreamed of — so, yes, perhaps professionals will have “super” skills in that respect. The point is, rapid transformation is already starting, prospective workers, current industrial professionals, and manufacturing organizations should be doing everything possible now to be on the right side of it.
This article originally appeared on LNS Research’s Operational Excellence blog. If you’re interested in emerging tech, follow Mike Roberts at @mp_roberts.
5 Things That Cost More Than You Will Make in Your Lifetime
According to a report published by the Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce, the average American will make between $973,000 and $3.65 million over a lifetime. As the report highlights, the higher level of education, the higher average lifetime salary.
Here are just a few things that cost more than you will make in your lifetime.
Bad Movies
What do the movies Waterworld, Wild Wild West, and Green Lantern all have in common? Besides receiving poor reviews, all three of these movies cost more than $200 million to make.
Data from most-expensive-things.silk.co
Violent Video Games
We often hear about the huge movie budgets, but what about video games? The budget for Grand Theft Auto V and the game Destiny each had budgets of about half a billion dollars.
Data from most-expensive-things.silk.co
Porn Domain Names
Everyone knows that sex sells. So it should come as no surprise that a couple of the highest-priced domain names are sex-related. In 2007, Porn.com sold for $9.5 million. Just three years later, Sex.com sold for a cool $14 million.
Data from most-expensive-things.silk.co
Old Books
The Codex Leicester, is a collection of scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci and sold for over $30 million. The Rothschilds Prayerbook is another one you probably shouldn’t expect to find in your local library. This prayer book dates back about 500 years and sold for over $13 million.
Fancy Sculptures
Just about everyone loves balloon animals, however there probably aren’t very many people willing to spend over $50 million for one. In 2013, Jeff Koons’s “Balloon Dog” sculpture sold for $58.4 million. But as Alyson Penn points out in Business Insider, replicas can be found on Alibaba for just $500.
Data from most-expensive-things.silk.co
Destiny or Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare only $19.99 at Microsoft Today
Today’s 12 Days of Deals promotion at your local Microsoft store or online features a great buy on either Destiny or Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare for the Xbox One or 360. In stores today while supplies last you can get these games for $19.99 each plus a free Xbox t-shirt. That’s a $40 savings for each game over the normal price of $59.99. If you don’t have a Microsoft store near you or simply don’t want to be bothered fighting mall traffic (Clinton once again raises his hand), you can get each game for $29.99. These will go fast
The post Destiny or Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare only $19.99 at Microsoft Today appeared first on Clinton Fitch.
Best Tweets: What Women Said On Twitter This Week
The countdown to Chrismakkuh has finally begun as people set out to find the perfect presents for their loved ones. While receiving gifts is probably the best part about the holidays (don’t lie to yourself, we all know what’s up), the worst might be buying and wrapping gifts for everyone on your long list. Twitter user Mischievous Jam is way ahead of the game, tweeting, “Don’t hate me because I’m already done Christmas shopping and everything is all wrapped… …Hate me because I tweeted about it.” Ugh, whatever.
Twitter user Jenn & Juice is a bit more skeptical about the holiday cheer, tweeting, “I mean, was Santa the original stalker or nah? The song DOES say he sees me when I’m sleeping, knows when I’m awake, & when I’m bad or good.” Santa is magical, leave him alone.
For more great tweets from women, scroll through the list below. Then visit our Funniest Tweets From Women page for our past collections.
No one in my family has ever actually used the Olive Garden gift card. We just keep passing it down from generation to generation.
— Erica (@SCbchbum) December 8, 2014
Witnessed an 11 year old girl tell a 9 year old “boys only want love if it’s torture” What hath Taylor Swift wrought
— Aminatou Sow (@aminatou) December 11, 2014
I know it must have been a crazy night when I wake up to an empty NyQuil bottle and an unopened wine bottle.
— Perfect Mess (@XOperfectmessXO) December 8, 2014
internet famous cats should start a labor union
— Jessica Roy (@JessicaKRoy) December 8, 2014
no one who enjoys grape artificial flavoring has gone on to do something great in life. only sour apple lovers become leaders + thinkers
— Chelsea Fagan (@Chelsea_Fagan) December 8, 2014
Rolling Stone and Aaron Sorkin, tied to a rocket aimed toward outer space.
— Julie Klausner (@julieklausner) December 8, 2014
God: humans. so messy. need a flood just to clean up all their shit
Angel: no you promised we could keep them
God: don’t worry I Noah guy
— Carly Kenyon (@carlyken) December 8, 2014
Save on holiday shopping by hating everyone in your family.
— Swishergirl (@Swishergirl24) December 8, 2014
All I’m saying is you don’t hear Jews complaining about “the war on Hanukkah” and there actually was one.
— Tweets by Dreidel (@OhNoSheTwitnt) December 8, 2014
A true friend is one who tells you her HBO GO login changed without you even needing to ask.
— Alie Martell (@aliemartell) December 8, 2014
How many of your exes can we fit into one room?
-theme of every holiday party everywhere.
— Cara Dawn (@careworn) December 9, 2014
But the Joey and Rachel romance storyline still icks me out.
— Sarah Millican (@SarahMillican75) December 9, 2014
*Sits on Santa’s lap*
“Is this a date?”
— Annekinns (@Annekinns) December 10, 2014
Don’t hate me because I’m already done Christmas shopping and everything is all wrapped…
…Hate me because I tweeted about it.
— Jelly (@MischievousJam) December 9, 2014
Why fall in love when you can fall into a volcano?
— Alley Cat (@deardilettante) December 8, 2014
Don’t forget to blame your problems on other people today.
— Blue Moon (@Bluestmoon_) December 8, 2014
Bought a pair of sweatpants with ‘Juicy’ on the back, but the J and U got sucked up my fat ass, so now I’m just ‘icy’.
Good ol’ Icy Ass.
— Bianca LaVagina (@AnitaHelmet) December 9, 2014
I mean, was Santa the original stalker or nah? The song DOES say he sees me when I’m sleeping, knows when I’m awake, & when I’m bad or good.
— jenn & juice (@thebadjenn) December 9, 2014
But Officer, that’s just my medicinal sawed-off shotgun.
— Vodka n Tots (@Vodkantots) December 10, 2014
One of these days I’m going to figure out socks.
— Carrie Brownstein (@Carrie_Rachel) December 12, 2014
Indecisive people unite!
Wait. Maybe not.
No. Let’s not.
Actually, we should.
— Goddess of Mischief (@ShanaRose21) December 10, 2014
Hang on, let me just throw out the rest of my morals first.
— trouble (@amyistrouble) December 11, 2014
Some call it addiction
Some call it obsession
I call it truly dedicated
-my relationship with pizza and beer
— Feeds On Your Soul (@tiemespankme) December 12, 2014
Oh, Santa’s real. Humans have simply become such monsters that no one’s good enough to visit. – worst way to keep a child’s wonder alive
— Janingle Bellsrito (@janinebrito) December 12, 2014
Dark Matter Signal May Have Been Found In Mysterious X-Ray Data
After a decades-long search, astronomers may finally have found the first sign of dark matter. That’s the invisible substance that scientists believe makes up the bulk of our universe, since visible matter accounts for only about 20 percent of our universe’s mass.
While scientists can observe dark matter indirectly by looking at its gravitational effects on visible matter, they have struggled to come up with tangible evidence that proves the stuff exists–until now.
This week, a team of researchers from Switzerland and the Netherlands announced that they may have detected the signal of decaying dark matter particles.
For the research, the team analyzed the x-rays emitted from two celestial objects: the Perseus galaxy cluster, an array of galaxies located approximately 250 million light years from Earth, and our “sister” galaxy Andromeda, which is approximately 2.5 million light years away. The researchers looked at data collected by the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton telescope and spotted a mysterious “anomaly” that could not have been emitted by any known atom or particle.
The same strange x-ray spike was also detected by a research team at Harvard in June, who announced they had spotted the emission in data from 70 different galaxy clusters.
“This tiny (several hundred extra photons) excess has been interpreted as originating from very rare decays of dark matter particles,” Dr. Alexey Boyarsky, a professor of physics at Leiden University in the Netherlands and the lead researcher for the new study, told The Huffington Post in an email. “Although the signal is very weak, it has passed several ‘sanity checks’ that one expects from a decaying dark matter signal.”
For instance, the researchers say the signal was more concentrated in the center and weak at the edges of Andromeda and the Perseus cluster, which corresponds to what they expected. Boyarsky added that the team has now found a signal at the same wave length coming from our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
Boyarsky and his team believe the signal comes from the decay of a dark matter particle, possibly a “sterile neutrino,” which is a hypothetical particle believed to be 1/100th the size of an electron.
“Confirmation of this discovery may lead to construction of new telescopes specially designed for studying the signals from dark matter particles,” Boyarsky said in a written statement. “We will know where to look in order to trace dark structures in space and will be able to reconstruct how the Universe has formed.”
The research is scheduled to be published next week in the journal Physical Review Letters. A pre-printed version of the article can be found here.
Research Links Addictive Social Media Behavior With Substance Abuse
Plenty of research has demonstrated that the addictive quality of social media is very real. And according to a new study, heavy social media use may also contribute to a different type of addiction.
Psychologists at the University of Albany found that not only is social media (particularly Facebook) itself potentially addictive, those who use it may also be at greater risk for impulse-control issues like substance abuse.
The researchers surveyed 253 undergraduate students, asking questions about their social media use, Internet addiction, emotion regulation and alcohol use. They found that roughly 10 percent of users experience “disordered social media use,” meaning that they exhibit addictive behaviors in the way they use platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. To assess disordered social media use, the researchers included questions that reflected modified diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence, such as, “How good does Facebook make you feel?” and “Do you check Facebook first thing when you wake up in the morning?”
Those who were struggling with social media addiction were more likely to report Internet addiction (as measured by scores on the Young Internet Addiction Test), challenges with emotion regulation (such as poor impulse control), and drinking problems.
Psychologist Julia Hormes, who led the study, said that Facebook was found to have especially addictive properties. The respondents spent an average of one-third of their online browsing time on Facebook, and 67 percent received Facebook push notifications on their phones.
“New notifications or the latest content on your newsfeed acts as a reward. Not being able to predict when new content is posted encourages us to check back frequently,” Hormes said in a statement. “This uncertainty about when a new reward is available is known as a ‘variable interval schedule of reinforcement’ and is highly effective in establishing habitual behaviors that are resistant to extinction. Facebook is also making it easy for users to continuously be connected to its platform, for example by offering push notifications to mobile devices.”
The researchers hypothesize that disordered social media use is likely a symptom of poor emotion regulation skills, which heightens susceptibility to a variety of types of addiction.
“Our findings suggest that disordered online social networking may arise as part of a cluster of risk factors that increase susceptibility to both substance and non-substance addictions,” Hormes said.
The new findings join a growing body of research investigating the addictive potential of Internet social media use. MRI data has shown that the brains of compulsive Internet users to exhibit similar changes to those seen in people with alcohol and drug addictions. Harvard research conducted in 2012 provided some insight into why using Facebook in particular seems to be so highly addictive. Disclosing information about ourselves, the researchers found, is intrinsically rewarding. It activates the Nucleas Accumbens, a brain area that also lights up when cocaine or other drugs are ingested. But it’s not just posting on Facebook that’s addictive — it’s also receiving all those likes and comments. Another study found that receiving positive feedback about ourselves also activates the brain’s reward centers.
However, Hormes’ and other research can’t be taken as conclusive evidence that disordered social media use constitutes a full-blown addiction.
“The question of whether or not disordered online social networking use can be considered a ‘true’ addiction is a tough one,” Hormes said in an email to the Huffington Post. “I think the answer really depends on your definition of ‘addiction.’ Many people think of addictions as involving ingested substances. However, if we think about addiction more broadly as involving some kind of reward then it is easier to see how behaviors may be addictive.”
The new findings were published in the December issue of the journal Addiction.
Jeffrey Marsh, Vine Star, Discusses Their Work As An Activist
Editor’s Note: Jeffrey Marsh is open to the use of any pronoun but for the purposes of this profile, we are using “they/them/their.”
You may not know who they are — but you’ve no doubt heard their message.
Jeffrey Marsh is a social media star who utilizes Vine to spread messages of positivity and awareness on a massive digital platform. Their Vines have collectively received more than 90 million views, ultimately providing Marsh with the opportunity to take their message outside of social media and speak and perform all over New York City.
Marsh is most notably known for spearheading the viral hashtags #DontSayThatsSoGay and #NoTimetoHateMyself.
In the technological age, the face of activism has evolved along with the way in which we communicate. Marsh is part of a generation of LGBTQ activists who, through social media, are changing minds and perceptions in parts of the world where people may not encounter a queer person in their day to day lives.
The Huffington Post chatted with Marsh this week about their work as an activist, the way in which they utilize social media and what they have planned for the future.
The Huffington Post: How did you become a Vine star?
Jeffrey Marsh: By accident! I’m doing what I always did: dress up like Julie Andrews, dance around, tell people they’re awesome as heck, sing them songs and (literally) kick up my heels to some catchy Katy Perry.
The only difference now is the camera, the chance to post those moments for gay kids in Arkansas and Canadian moms. No other form of social media I’ve tried allows me to immediately connect like Vine does. It is very much like a face-to-face social experience. Each day I’m shocked and excited to find messages from people who feel like my videos help them to be themselves. I guess I became a “star” by being myself.
When did you realize that things were really heating up and people were starting to take notice?
That’s the funny thing, it was so gradual — so natural. There are plenty of people in social media who burn brightly and fast, who go viral and get (almost) instant fame. For whatever reason, my journey so far has been consistent and incremental. I picture one friend telling another; a grass roots approach to fame.
It would be hard to argue that my message isn’t popular. But is it the most popular? Not by a long shot. I’m reminded of Joan Rivers talking about some advice she once got: if 0.1% of America thinks you’re funny, you’ll fill stadiums for the rest of your life. I’m not sure I will ever fill a stadium, but I think Joan and I are both talking about quality over quantity. This is most true when it comes to cultivating a relationship with the like-minded people who call themselves fans. And I’m happy to say that those fans are all over the figurative (and literal) map: old, young, black, white, trans, bi — you name it! Everybody is welcome and can hopefully connect with my inclusive message.
Did you have a strategy or a plan in the beginning or were you just creating Vines that felt right to you and putting them out in the world?
Did I have a plan? Definitely not! I always knew I wanted to tell as many people (in as many ways as I could) that there is nothing wrong with them. I just started posting things that brought a smile to my face, that helped me feel excited to post again — to connect again.
I don’t like dwelling on the “larger” implications of what I’m doing. There have been hundreds of messages from people who decided not to commit suicide because of my channel, for instance. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that’s happening! It’s just that all I did was look into my iPhone camera and tell a friend they’re beautiful for being alive. I don’t ever want to lose that connection. Is that simple direct approach a strategy? Maybe it is…
Do you approach your vines differently now than you did at the beginning? What has changed for you?
Maybe part of my success, and the success of Vine overall, is the relatability factor. People can see me; they can look into my eyes, which never happens on Twitter. I’ve shied away from making more polished, “produced” vines because I’m concerned they will lose a personal touch — a humanity that is so essential to one of my missions: showing that LGBTQ folks are just folks. We are all human.
One thing that has changed for me is the recognition of the responsibility I have. I say it in a grandiose way because I don’t think I’m representing just LGBTQ folks. I’ve realized recently that my gender identity is a metaphor. I have the chance to be a voice for many of the voiceless outsiders in the world — the heartbroken people who have felt left out. If my interactions on Vine are any indication, there are a lot of us out there!
What’s it like to see a hashtag campaign you’ve created take off and touch so many people?
It’s ultra-fulfilling and fun. To know that people benefit, to know that people get it and are changed by what I do is a reason to get up in the morning. It’s also a reason to glue on false lashes when I’m a little tired and skim through hate e-mail to answer my followers. #DontSayThatsSoGay and #NoTimetoHateMyself brought out so many different kinds of people; people who would never be in front of a camera, never would be that visible on social media. They felt the message, their participation was that important. And everyone’s participation is that important! It really excites me to see that. Being in front of the camera feels natural for me, but when someone else who might be nervous or shy puts their truth on Vine, it is very inspirational.
#Dontsaythatssogay @jeffreymarsh I am gay. And that’s perfectly okay! https://t.co/hMzwZEJfK1
— Cole Kirby (@digitaldesign17) October 9, 2014
If I ever start to have worries about my numbers or how many “likes” I’m getting, I go through those videos from everybody. That’s what’s important: the connection, the changed lives. I often feel like my life has been changed most of all.
When it comes to gender identity and sexual orientation, how would you describe yourself?
I never want anyone to feel bad. Ever. So, I decided a while ago that there is no “wrong way” to refer to me. I know that words and pronouns are really important to a lot of people. I respect that deeply. Several times a week, people ask “what’s your preferred pronoun?” which is nice of them, but I have no idea!
For me, connecting is most important. If someone is being respectful, I don’t care what they use. I’d love to have an interaction with someone who says a pronoun that doesn’t seem true for me at that moment, and we talk about it — we connect over it. Excluded from all this is, of course, is hate speech. I just don’t engage that.
I don’t want to deflect the heart of the question though! Personally, I don’t walk around thinking of myself as “her,” “man,” “they” or any other word we’ve currently got going. I guess that’s part of why I love hearing everybody’s stories on Vine — I can relate to men and women and everyone. When we’re talking about being human and having feelings, there is so much that we have in common.
What’s the one thing you hope people take away from what you’re doing? If you could boil everything down into one message, what would it be?
Always, always, always the message is the same: There Is Nothing Wrong With You. With varying degrees of success I’m sure, I keep it all hovering around that theme. Tweets, Instagram and, of course, my Vines are all an effort to help people ditch the self-hate and self-judgement. What could be more important?
What do you want to accomplish in 2015?
Let’s take over the world! I would be very happy if The Message (see above) could reach more people and bring more of us together. Helping one person is a cause for celebration to me, and I plan to keep celebrating that one-at-a-time connection by Vining my heart out.
Want to see more from Jeffrey Marsh? Check out their Vine, Twitter, Instagram or website.
This Map Shows Where America Loves 'Butts' More Than 'Boobs'
Americans appear to prefer “butts” to “boobs” when searching for “straight,” woman-with-man pornography on the popular websites Pornhub and Youporn.
A report on the websites’ analytics, titled “Boobs, Butts & Beyond,” shows that butt-related terms top boob queries in 40 of 50 states. The websites, both owned by the same company, developed the report with 20 Minuten, a Swiss newspaper.
Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are the only U.S. states where boob searches win out.
Americans apparently prefer “butts” to “boobs.” (Source)
The report was compiled using search data from the past year. It looked at various terms relating to both categories — synonyms for the body parts in question.
When the websites looked at global data, Pornhub said in a blog post, they found that “boob” queries appear more popular in northern regions like Canada and the United Kingdom, but “butt” searches pop up more in southern regions like Chile and South Africa.
A look at the world’s pornographic leanings. (Source)
There’s much more data available for those looking to go further down this rabbit hole, including which parts of the world seem to prioritize searches related to “legs.”
The analysis from the websites doesn’t include searches in categories beyond heterosexual pornography, and appeared to stick to categories that refer specifically to parts of a woman’s body. Previously, Pornhub partnered with Buzzfeed for a study about the pornography viewing habits of women.
Pornhub is estimated to be the 72nd most popular website in the world, according to Alexa, an analytics site. Its visitors are mostly male, and they spend about eight minutes on the site per day. Youporn is ranked 124th.
For 'The Interview,' Even Negative Publicity (Like A Massive Sony Hack) Is Good Publicity
Some bad news for Sony might end up being good news for one of the company’s movies.
A massive hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s computer system has been devastating to the studio, leading to leaks of unreleased movies, embarrassing emails and sensitive employee information. But it has also brought a lot of attention to “The Interview,” the movie starring Seth Rogen and James Franco that some say prompted the hack. The film, due for release on Christmas Day, has become the topic of countless news stories and social media chatter, likely widening the movie’s potential audience.
“It’s creating a buzz,” said Steven Fink, who wrote Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable. “Wouldn’t you want to see what all the hype is about?”
In the film, Rogen and Franco’s characters work for a TV show and score an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. They are recruited by the CIA to assassinate him. Investigators haven’t determined who hacked Sony, but many suspect North Korean might have been involved, perhaps as retaliation for the film. A North Korean official has denied government involvement.
From Nov. 20 to Dec. 3, a period that includes the first public news of the hack on Nov. 24, views of “The Interview” trailers were up 895 percent from the Nov. 6-19 period, according to data from Tubular Labs, a YouTube analytics company. Sony released a second trailer for the movie during that period as well, which like explains some of the spike in interest.
But, in its first week, views of the second trailer far outpaced views of second trailers for other Sony movies, indicating the hack could have boosted interest in “The Interview,” according to Tubular. The second trailer for “The Interview” garnered 2.2 million views in its first week, while second trailers for “The Wedding Ringer” and “Annie” reached 815,000 and 400,100 views, respectively, in their first week.
Allison Stern, the co-founder of Tubular, said “The Interview” content has been around for six months but one-third of the views on it came in the past month — definitely a “bump” from the expected growth rate.
Data from Google Trends also suggest the controversy has increased interest in the film:
This chart from Google Trends shows the dips and spikes of Google searches for “The Interview.” “Birdman,” by comparison, has a less-volatile search history. Sony also released a new trailer for “The Interview” after the hack was publicly known, which likely explains part of the spike in interest. In comparison, the first spike for “Birdman” occurred when its trailer was released and the larger spike happened when the movie opened.
There’s a long history of controversy propelling films, TV shows, books and albums to greater popularity. There’s a reason the phrase “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” exists. Bad book reviews can actually boost sales by an average of 45 percent if the author is relatively unknown, according to a 2012 study from researchers at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Fink, the crisis-management expert, recalled the release of “The China Syndrome,” a 1979 film in which Jane Fonda played a reporter who convinces an engineer to blow the whistle on a dangerous nuclear power plant. The movie opened 12 days before the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear accident.
“I was ecstatic that it was extremely commercially successful,” Fonda said of the film in an interview on a retrospective edition of the DVD, according to a 2007 New York Times report. “You know the expression ‘We had legs’? We became a caterpillar after Three Mile Island.”
The monthslong controversy over Mel Gibson’s 2004 movie “The Passion of the Christ