NEWS : TECH (NFPC)

NRA Vanishes From Facebook, Silent on Twitter

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook tragedy, the national outcry and debate over gun control continues to grow louder with each passing day. Yet on social media, one voice remains uncharacteristically silent. The Facebook page of the National Rifle Association (NRA) vanished over the weekend. Users are now  redirected to Facebook's homepage after clicking on the association's former location.

BLOG: Gun-Control Petition Demands Congress To Act

The staunch anti-gun-control organization's Twitter account has also fallen silent. Its last tweet was an ad for "10 Days of NRA Giveaways -- Enter today for a chance to win an auto emergency tool!" and appeared on the morning of December 14, the day of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

DNEWS VIDEO: COOL JOBS: HACKER

The NRA's social-media blackout is not uncommon. In July, after the fatal shooting of 12 people in an Aurora, Colo. movie theater, the NRA did not tweet for 10 days.

The NRA's Google+ and YouTube pages remain up, however the the NRA's most recent Google+ post on December 13th is locked. The NRA's last YouTube upload was on December 14th. Comments for this video have been disabled.

In a tweet last Thursday, the NRA celebrated it's 1.7 millionth Facebook "like," encouraging users to "KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING! ASK YOUR FRIENDS TO 'LIKE' THE NRA!"

NEWS: Can Gun Laws Save Lives?

A Facebook spokesman told CNET the social network had nothing to do with the disappearance of NRA's page, leading many to assume the NRA took down their page rather than face the ire of anti-gun advocates. When contacted by Wired, a public affairs spokesperson for the NRA declined comment about the organization's Facebook page.

This has been a popular discussion on Discovery News, so we encourage the debate to continue. Is the NRA burying its head in the sand? Or is the NRA giving victims the space they need while the organization continues to strategize?

via Wired

Credit: Bettmann/CORBIS

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Twitter's Impact on Journalism: Gotta-See Video

While you're thinking about Twitter, follow us: @Discovery_News

The digital revolution has changed much of human society, but nowhere has it been more noticeable than the delivery of news.

Social media sites like YouTube and Twitter have changed how news is gathered and presented to the public. We don't have to wait until the evening to get the day's news it's a "constant flow." This video features big names in the journalism Twitterverse, explaining why Twitter has made such an impact. via Devour

Want to recommend a video? Tweet it to @Discovery_News with the hashtag #GottaSeeVideos.

Don't miss today's Must-Read DNews Nuggets and you can watch Discovery Curiosity video here.

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Coming Soon: Free Wi-Fi for Facebook Check-In?

Laptop coffee-shop squatters, rejoice! Your days of repeatedly asking the barista for Wi-Fi passwords may soon be over. No need to awkwardly avoid eye contact as you shamble up to the counter to buy the cheapest refill possible just so you can re-up your time limit. Your next Wi-Fi refill could come compliments of Facebook.

BLOG: Top 10 Social Networking Sites

That's right, the social network Goliath is testing a new Wi-Fi hot spot service for local businesses that grants users free Internet access if they do a Facebook check-in. Businesses would provide the access via a Facebook router that directs customers to the business' Facebook page once users check in.

DNEWS VIDEO: COOL JOBS: HACKER

"We are currently running a small test with a few local businesses of a Wi-Fi router that is designed to offer a quick and easy way to access free Wi-Fi after checking in on Facebook," the company confirmed to Inside Facebook. "When you access Facebook Wi-Fi by checking in, you are directed to your local business’s Facebook Page".

Developer Tom Waddington is credited with discovering the test when he found a new entry called "social wifi" in the "Like sources" section of the Insights API.

While businesses would still provide the Internet access, Facebook would provide a router. Page owners would be able to monitor how many new 'Likes' the page received from those who used the Wi-Fi service. Visitors who don't want to jump through the Facebook hoop could still access the network via a password from the business.

BLOG: Facebook More Tantilizing Than Sex

Rumored to be the product of a hackathon project, Facebook Wi-Fi only exists as a limited test run and likely won't be popping up at your local coffee shop anytime soon. Until then, laptop squatters, you'll just have to dig deeper in your couch for all that loose change for refills.

via CNET

Credit: Turba/Corbis

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Top 5 Fake Hurricane Sandy Photos

As Hurricane Sandy clobbered the the most populated region of the United States, many people took to social media and the Internet to receive and circulate information about what experts called a 100-year storm.

As is typically the case with natural disasters -- especially in this digital age -- viral photos quickly put a face on the catastrophe. However, it turns out many of the most popular images pinballing around the Internet during the storm were either fake or outdated. Even major media outlets got duped.

Here are the Top 5 fake photos that got passed around the Internet during Sandy's wrath:

1.) Ominous Clouds Looming Over Statue of Liberty (above)

As Gawker pointed out, "everyone from the the New York Times' Jodi Kantor to the New Yorker's David Grann to Buzzfeed's Andrew Kaczynski" tweeted this fake photo of what looks to be a lost still from the movie Independence Day. However, the image was a Photoshop job that combined a photo of the New York harbor with a 2004 image of a Nebraska super cell taken by Mike Hollingshead.

2.) Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (above)

Real photo, wrong day.

NPR tweeted and posted this photo of three soldiers getting pelted with rain as they guarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery, calling it "perhaps one of the more stunning pictures we've come across today."

But the photo was actually taken in September. NPR later updated their blog, disclosing that the photo was "not taken during Sandy." NPR credited the Old Guard's Twitter account the and following tweet for helping with the correction: "Thanks for posting the pic about @The_Old_Guard, but that is not from today. This one is http://goo.gl/OC5lz."

The Washington Post, the Daily Beast, Talking Points Memo, and other media outlets also posted the photo, followed by later updates and/or corrections. Compliments of the Old Guard's Facebook page, here's a real image of a soldier standing guard during Sandy.

3.) Sinister Clouds Threaten to Swallow Empire State Building (above)

Again, real photo, wrong day. This one was all over Twitter, Facebook and beyond. The original image appeared in the Wall Street Journal in 2011.

4.) Waves Crashing On Statue of Liberty (above)

Another quick and easy Photoshop job. The original is wallpaper from the disaster porn movie The Day After Tomorrow.

5.) Dark Clouds Rolling Over the George Washington Bridge (above)

With its dark, eerie clouds and identifiable NYC landmark, this image has all the right ingredients for a Sandy pic, except for the fact that it's a Getty stock photo from 2009.

via Mashable

Credit: istwitterwrong.tumblr

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Facebook Cracks Down on Fakers: DNews Nuggets

Facebook Cracks Down on Fake Likes: Facebook is cracking down on fake profiles and deleting them from the site, reports the Huffington Post.

Fake profiles, and the likes they generate, violate Facebook's lengthy Terms of Service, thus Facebook as the company removes the fake profiles their likes will also disappear. On their official blog, Facebook writes, "A Like that doesn't come from someone truly interested in connecting with a Page benefits no one... Facebook was built on the principle of real identity... We undoubtedly expect that this will be a positive change for anyone using Facebook."

While some pages have experienced massive drops in Likes, the numbers are mere fractions of their overall totals. According to the HuffPo, "Lady Gaga's fan page lost over 34K, the page for Zynga's FarmVille gaming app lost around 41K and the fan page for Rihanna lost over 28K fans." However, they have 53.2 million, 37.9 million and 60.4 million likes, respectively, so their overall loss is almost non-existent.

Discovery News' Facebook Page, similarly, hasn't experienced a noticeable loss. via Huffington Post

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Pussy Riot Spawns Web Uprising

Unless you're a cave-dwelling monk or spend your Saturday nights watching reruns of The Lawrence Welk Show, you've probably heard of Pussy Riot.

DNEWS VIDEO: CYBORGS, WIRELESS INTERNET, EXOSKELETONS, SYNTHETIC LIFE AND MORE …

PHOTOS: Top 10 Social Networking Sites

They're the ski-masked, all-female punk trio from Russia who were sentenced to two years in prison last week for staging a punk prayer on the altar of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.

As protesters of Russian President Vladimir Putin and self-described "activists of the opposition movement, dealing with the problems of feminism, ecology, as well as rights for the L.G.B.T. movement," the group bum-rushed the altar and sang an obscene anthem ending with three cries of "Holy Mother, send Putin packing."

Their arrest, trial and conviction sparked a world-wide media blitz and drew heavy condemnation from the international community over Russia's continued iron-fisted crack downs of political dissent. Those in solidarity with Pussy Riot have taken not only taken to the streets, they've taken to one of the most popular arenas for contemporary protest: the Internet.

There's the Free Pussy Riot website, a home-base network of sorts, full of aggregated information about the case as well as outlets for international activists to join together in unity. There's the requisite Facebook page -- Free Pussy Riot Now (Putin, fear no art.) and a Tumblr page, We Are Pussy Riot, where visitors can sign an online petition.

Like clockwork, Web crusaders and hacktivist collective, Anonymous, rallied for Pussy Riot with trademark tactics: by hacking the website of the Moscow court that sentenced the band.

Anonymous defaced the Khamovnichesky District Court's site with anti-Putin statements and uploaded a new Pussy Riot song entitled "Putin is Lighting the Fires of the Revolution," as well as a video of gender-bending Bulgarian singer, Aziz.

BLOG: Social Media Feeds Chick-Fil-A Same Sex Kiss-In

In John Steinbeck's Great Depression novel "The Grapes of Wrath," Okie protagonist Tom Joad promises to advocate of behalf of oppressed people everywhere as he bids farewell to his mother with this famous quote:

Whenever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Whenever they's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there ... I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad an' -- I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready. An' when our folks eat the stuff they raise an' live in the houses they build -- why, I'll be there.

Retrofitted for today's freedom fighter on the digital frontier, it's safe to say Tom Joad would also be at his computer fueling an uprising via his various websites and Twitter account.

via Free Pussy Riot

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Independent Voters Tend to Use Pandora

Just this morning, I went to my Google Ad preferences to make some changes and found out something interesting. Based on my Web surfing, Google has determined that I'm a man between the ages of 25 and 34. While accurate in the age range, I am not a dude. A project from Engage DC is using similar analysis of Web activity to determine what kind of voter someone is.

PHOTOS: Notorious Political Ads of the Past

By analyzing Facebook likes and what social media sites a person engages with and how, researchers from Engage DC were able to determine a person's political preference. Turns out, according to the analysis, if you like Tumblr, Spotify and Etsy you’re in the Obama camp. If you’re a fan of Farmville, Amazon or Pinterest, you’re a potential Romney voter. The project even found what sites indicate swing voters, Pandora and Angry Birds.

Another interesting tidbit from this research: users on sites that focus on commerce and personal finance tend to lean toward Romney and are highly engaged politically. Those that veer toward Obama prefer social blogging and humor sites like Tumblr or xckd, but aren’t likely to get too involved in politics.

NEWS: Mind-Reading Camera Knows Your Politics

At first glance, it seems like just a lot of generalizations based on the web social scene. But it turns out strong research went into the planning of the bubble graph above. Patrick Ruffini, president of Engage DC, explained the methods used in a blog posting on the site, “Over the past few months, we’ve crunched countless 'Likes' from thousands of users of Trendsetter, our first-of-its-kind platform that ties together polling, social influence data and consumer preferences. We’ve used it to map the politics of the social web, analyzing the political partisanship of the user bases of various social properties.”

Of course, data doesn’t apply to everyone. So if you like Tumblr, but love Romney and shop on Amazon, but vote for Obama, consider yourself a unique individual who lives on the outside of the social media bubble.

via Washington Post

Credit: Engage DC

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Pixelated Hood Keeps You Anonymous

In the immortal words sung by Kenny Rogers, (cough) our generation's greatest bearded troubadour and plastic-surgery poster child, "You gotta know when to fold 'em."

BLOG: 'Touchy' Shows Us How Out Of Touch We Are

I heeded The Gambler's advice and folded my cards a long time ago, at least when it comes to believing that any of us have a shred of privacy left in our lives. Try going out in public these days without your image being captured on a security camera somewhere.

DNEWS VIDEO: COOL JOBS: HACKE

And with the general public rife with smartphone fever, chances are you've been a part of someone's over-sharing habit via a Facebook photo or YouTube video you had no idea was being taken.

If this makes you want to never leave the privacy of your own home, Berlin-based artist Martin Backes wants to get your head back in game...by covering it up.

He's created a pixelated hood -- nay, mask -- that fits over your entire head and neck. The mask is to be worn in public, making those who wear it indistinguishable on camera. Here's how Backes describes it on his website:

The full face mask Pixelhead acts as media camouflage, completely shielding the head to ensure that your face is not recognizable on photographs taken in public places without securing permission. A simple piece of fabric creates a little piece of anonymity for the Internet age. The material used is stretch satin with a fashionable Pixel-style print of German Secretary of the Interior Thomas de Maizière. The mask has two holes for your eyes, so you can see and breathe comfortably while wearing the mask, secure in the knowledge that your image won’t be showing up anywhere you don’t want it to.

All fine and dandy, except for the fact that wearing this mask will make you look like a medieval executioner, which, correct if I'm wrong, probably isn't the best way to keep a low profile. But, hey, to each his own.

BLOG: The Revolution Will Not Be Identified

If I was a gambling man, which I am now thanks to Kenny Rogers' advice, I'm willing to bet Backes mask is more of a statement on contemporary culture, rather than a functional garment. And for that alone, I tip my hood.

via technabob

credit: Martin Backes

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Facebook Eyes Ads that Know Your Whereabouts

Fresh on the heels of a smartphone app that predicts where you're going comes news that Facebook is looking into technology that uses location data to tailor advertisements on their mobile site.

PHOTOS: Top 10 Social Networking Sites

Andrew Bosworth, a Facebook engineer told Technology Review that the company's smartphone apps could potentially use audio sensors on top of location data to produce customized ads based on a user's surroundings.

"Maybe you're walking past somewhere we know you'll like and it tells you there's a deal you can get," said Bosworth. "Ads don't have to be a distraction."

DNEWS VIDEO: IPHONE IN SPACE EXPLAINED

Facebook makes very little money off of the mobile version of its site. In fact, before its IPO launch in May, Facebook warned that mobile services "may negatively affect our revenue and financial results." Bosworth and his team are trying to change that, since approximately half of all active Facebook users access the site via their mobile devices.

For example, Bosworth said a phone's microphone could be used to identify nearby sounds, such as music or a person humming. If the the tune or music was recognized, the system could suggest a relevant advertising strategy via online content or media purchases.

BLOG: Phone Predicts Where You're Going Next

Bosworth said the company's current strategy for milking money from mobile content is through the use of sponsored stories, promotional messages for a brand or company that, say, one of your friends is connected with or mentioned on Facebook.

However, Bosworth is optimistic that ads based on a user's location could help Facebook more thoroughly take advantage of the local advertising market.

via Technology Review

Credit: Ted Soqui/Corbis

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Facebook Law IDs Sex Offenders: DNews Nuggets

Louisiana Legislates Sex Offenders' Facebook Walls

Facebooking in Louisiana just got more complicated for some. Under the new law, taking affect August 1, child predators and sex offenders must identify themselves on their social media.

This represents an expansion of existing laws to the digital realm. While the law is supported by Facebook, they already bar offenders from using the site as outlined in their terms of service.

As far as how the law will be implemented we shall have to see, there's no box on Facebook to indicate one is a sex offender or child predator; so looking into people's "About Me" section may have just become more important. via CNN

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