1 in 10 US Households Reports Computer Crime

Slightly more than one in 10 (11%) US households self-reported a computer or internet crime on their home computer in the past year, which represents a new high according to Gallup.

Computer Crime Rises 57% YOY

For the past several years, Gallup data shows self-reported US computer/internet crime rates holding a steady 6-8%, including 7% in 2009. However, this year’s 11% rate is a substantial 57% increase from the 2009 rate.

Computer Crime Third-most Reported

Of the nine types of crime Gallup asked Americans about in an October 7-10, 2010 survey, having money or property stolen received the highest mentions, at 16%, followed by having a home, car, or other property vandalized, at 14%. The trend for these has been fairly stable in recent years.

Computer/internet crime is the only other type of crime that registers in the double digits this year. However, the next-most common, identify theft, at 8%, is closely related by virtue of much of it occurring through hacking and fraudulent internet transactions. This is down slightly from the 10% who reported identity theft in 2009, the first year Gallup asked about this type of crime.

Fewer than 5% of Americans say that, over the past year, they or a household member was a victim in a home break-in, a car theft, a mugging or physical assault, a money or property theft by force, or a sexual assault.

Younger Americans Hit By Computer Crime More

The increase since 2009 in American households reporting computer- or Internet-based crimes comes mainly from Americans younger than age 55. Eighteen- to 34-year-olds are almost twice as likely to report these crimes as they were a year ago (11% compared to 6%), and 35- to 54-year-olds are also significantly more likely to do so (16% compared to 11%, a 45% increase). In contrast, the rate is virtually unchanged among those 55 and older.

In addition, while rates are similar by gender, the percentage of non-whites reporting computer/internet crimes (14%) is 40% higher than that of whites (10%), and has doubled in the past year. In contrast, the rate among whites has only risen 25%.

One-Third of Households Are Crime Victims

In the past year, a third of all U.S. households experienced at least one of the nine crimes Gallup measured, up slightly from previous years, and about 6% from 31% in 2009. When computer- or internet-based crimes (including identity theft) are excluded, the figure is similar to prior levels, at 26%.

Overall, 4% of Americans say they or a family member experienced some sort of violent crime, including a physical assault, mugging, or sexual assault.

Americans Tend to See Crime Increasing

In 2010, 66% of Americans view crime as increasing, and 17% say it is decreasing, according to other recent Gallup analysis which indicates Americans generally view crime as on the rise. Going back to 1989, 84% of Americans thought crime was increasing. This rate stayed above 80% until the mid-1990s, and then dipped to a recent low point of 43% in 2002, before shooting back up to 62% in 2003.

Sixty-six percent is still an improvement on recent figures. For example, 74% of Americans said crime was increasing in 2009, as did 67% in 2008 and 71% in 2007.

Android Top New Smartphone App Platform for ‘11

A leading 29% of smartphone application publishers say they will begin supporting the Android platform next year, according to the Millennial Media November 2010 Mobile Mix report. This outdistances the second-most-popular new smartphone app platform for next year, iPad (20%), by a healthy margin. Twenty percent of smartphone app publishers also plan to begin supporting Windows Phone7 next year. No other platform has anywhere close to this level of planned new support, with RIM coming in a distant fourth (12%).

Android Apps Represent More than Half of Platform Mix

In more good news for the Android platform, Android applications represented 54% of the application platform mix in November 2010, averaging 10% growth month-over-month for the past four consecutive months. The only platform with anywhere close to this level of support was iOS, representing 39% of the total mix.

Gaming Remains Top App Category

The popularity of gaming applications on the Millennial Media network continued as gaming remained the leading application category on the network and accounted for 28% of the application impressions in November 2010.

Music & entertainment apps moved up to the number two position in November with 22% of the impression share. Within this category, Millennial research indicates television & movie app impressions have more
than doubled month-over-month, but music apps still lead the category with more than 70% of the impression share.

Automotive apps entered the top mobile application categories for the first time last month. Automotive app impressions more than tripled month-over-month; which Millennial says reflects the increased use of mobile as consumers researched new auto purchases and end-of-year promotions.

iOS, Android Tie as Top Smartphone OS

iOS and Android shared the top spot in the smartphone OS mix, each with 38% of the impressions, followed by RIM with a 19% impression share.

Smartphones accounted for 58% of the smartphone, feature phone & connected device impression share in November 2010. Feature phones and connected devices experienced a 1% and 2% increase in impression share month-over-month, respectively. Together, they represented 42% of impressions in November.

Nielsen: Apple iOS, Android Most Desired Smartphone Platforms

Among all likely US smartphone upgraders from August-October 2010, nearly one-third (30%) desire to upgrade to a device running Apple iOS, according to recent Nielsen data. Android follows closely with 28% desiring this platform. No other operating system approaches the popularity of Apple iOS or Android among likely smartphone upgraders. RIM Blackberry was a distant third, chosen by 13% of respondents.

Most Marketers Shift Toward Branded Content

Majority consider it a tool for education

Marketers are recognizing the value of magnetic content over traditional disruptive forms of advertising, according to research from the Custom Content Council in partnership with branded-content newsletter ContentWise.

Overall, 68% of companies said they were shifting from traditional forms of marketing to more emphasis on branded content, including 61% who reported a moderate shift and 7% who said their shift was “aggressive.”

On average, spending on branded content represented 29% of respondents’ total marketing, advertising and communications budgets in 2010. That was down slightly from 32% last year. The report noted that 2010 had the fourth-highest total marketing spend recorded but the second-highest branded content spend, suggesting that branded content will continue to increase in importance among marketers.

About 35% of total spending on branded content went toward electronic forms this year, according to the survey.

Respondents’ top reason for using branded content was to educate consumers, cited by 54%.

“The 2010 numbers illustrate a spending level that is nearly 100% above 2008,” said Keith Sedlak, chair of the Custom Content Council and CMO at Meredith Integrated Marketing, in a statement. “Add to that the fact that 68% of companies surveyed continue to shift their ad dollars to branded content. And lastly, there was a 20% increase in companies surveyed this year vs. last year that plan to grow their branded content budgets.”

Social media marketing is one factor contributing to the importance of branded content. According to the “2010 Social Media Usage, Attitudes and Measurability” study from King Fish Media, HubSpot and Junta42, 73% of US companies with a social media strategy were using branded content they created in their campaigns. Such original content was considered the most important part of a successful social campaign, with nearly half of respondents calling it “extremely important.”

In Australia, Men Watch Twice the Amount of Online Video as Women

Australians Watched Nearly 3 Hours of Online Video per Viewer at YouTube.com in October

comScore, Inc, a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its October 2010 rankings of the top video properties in Australia based on data from its comScore Video Metrix service. The report found that nearly 80 percent of Australia’s Internet population viewed video online in October, with an average viewer watching nearly 8 hours of video during the month. The report also revealed that male online video viewers in Australia spend nearly double the amount of time viewing video compared to women.

“Online video has become an important part of how Australians consume content on the Web,” said Amy Weinberger, comScore vice president for Australia and New Zealand. “Understanding the demographic characteristics of online video viewers and how they engage with content is vital information for advertisers and publishers seeking to capitalize on this platform.”

Google Sites Account for More than Half of Online Video Market

In October, Internet users in Australia watched a total of 961 million online videos, with Google Sites ranking as the top video property with 503 million videos viewed, representing 52.4 percent market share. YouTube.com accounted for more than 99 percent of all videos viewed at the Google property. Microsoft Sites ranked second with 33.2 million videos (3.5 percent market share), followed by Facebook.com with 13.5 million videos viewed (1.4 percent market share).

*Rankings based on video content sites; excludes video server networks. Online video includes both streaming and progressive download video.

Average Viewer Watched Nearly 8 Hours of Online Video in October

In Australia, 10.3 million unique viewers consumed online video content during the month, averaging nearly 8 hours per viewer. Google Sites attracted the largest audience with 8.3 million video viewers, followed by Microsoft Sites with 3.2 million viewers and Facebook.com with 2.7 million viewers. Viewers at Google Sites averaged nearly 3 hours watching video, with viewership at Dailymotion.com (1.2 hours per viewer) and VEVO (42 minutes per viewer) also showing strong viewer engagement.

*Rankings based on video content sites; excludes video server networks. Online video includes both streaming and progressive download video.

Men Spend Double the Amount of Time Watching Online Video

A demographic analysis of video viewers in Australia revealed that although males and females comprise nearly an equal percentage of overall video viewers, males spend a significantly longer amount of time viewing online video than females. On average, males watched just over 10 hours of online video in October, while females averaged 5.2 hours. Males also consumed a higher number of videos on average at 113 videos per viewer, compared to females at 72 videos per viewer.

For both males and females, the 15-24 and 25-34 age segments were the most-engaged demographic groups. The 15-24 age segment for both genders was responsible for consuming the most videos on average (155 videos per viewer for males, 89 videos per viewer for females), while the 25-34 year-old segment spent the most time viewing video (nearly 13 hours for males, 6.8 hours for females).

Beware of Word Document Viruses

Here’s what you may already know: Computer viruses are like small software programs. Typically, they are downloaded inadvertently, buried within a file. When you open the file, the virus activates. The virus could damage your system, steal your identity information, infect files that you send out or even send itself to everyone in your email address book from your return address.

But what you might not know is that viruses sneak in through the Microsoft Word files that you often receive via email. Your own documents could be an open door for viruses to wreak havoc on your computer. And in the end, computer viruses and other forms of malicious software (malware) cause billions of pounds in damage and untold anguish for victims of identity theft each year.

Q. Why are Word files vulnerable?

A. Because Microsoft Word files are commonly exchanged, Word viruses have become widespread. Here’s how it works:

• Microsoft Word files contain small programs called "macros," which are customisable shortcuts that automate tasks such as formatting text or applying bullet lists.

• The macro programming language can also be used to write viruses.

• The virus can be sent as part of a Word document.

• The virus automatically activates when you open the Word file.

Q. How can I get tricked into opening a virus-laden Word file?

A. Hackers use a variety of ruses to persuade you to open a virus-infected Word file. They may:

• Spoof the address of a friend, a business or an old friend.

• Pretend to be the sender of an important message from your bank, the IRS or a lottery you’ve won.

• Use topical lures. Last year, for example, when worldwide attention was focused on pro-democracy protests in Myanmar, hackers circulated an infected Word file purporting to be a message of support from the Dalai Lama.

Q. How can I protect myself?

A. Use these tips to avoid Word viruses:

• Only open email attachments that are expected and that come from a trusted source.

• Use Internet security software that automatically scans email attachments for viruses and other malicious software before opening them.

• Delete any suspect messages without opening them.

• Do not click on web links or download files sent through emails or instant messages by someone you don’t know.

The bottom line: Be wary of any file sent to you as an email attachment, even an innocent-looking Microsoft Word file. These files could contain viruses or other malicious software that might damage your system or steal your identity information. And always use Internet security programs to protect against viruses, spyware and spam.

Jennifer Martinez is a freelance writer with a specialty in family computer topics.

iPad Sales to More Than Double Next Year

127% growth forecast for iPad units sold in 2011

Apple will have sold 8.5 million iPads in the US by the end of this year, eMarketer estimates. That makes up the vast majority of total US tablet sales, at 88%.

iPad sales in particular and tablet sales overall will increase dramatically over the next two years. Nearly 20 million of Apple’s shiny touchscreen devices will be sold next year, an increase of 127%, and by 2012 sales will surpass 30 million. Meanwhile, the tablet market will diversify and the iPad’s share will decline somewhat, to 74% of the total by 2012.

Worldwide, tablet sales will increase even more quickly, and the iPad will be slightly less prominent—but retain the greatest part of the market, projected at 69% in 2012. The US will account for most tablet and iPad sales over the period.

As tablets catch on with consumers, the installed base of US tablet users will increase exponentially, but remain a relatively small share of the total population. By 2012, eMarketer forecasts nearly 41 million Americans will have a tablet device, or 12.8% of the total.

According to September 2010 data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, tablet ownership is significantly higher among affluent adults. Among survey respondents with household income of at least $75,000, tablet penetration was 9%, compared to 5% among those making $50,000 to $74,999 and just 2% among the lowest-income group ($30,000 or less). This mirrors the patterns seen for ownership of a variety of internet-connected devices, including desktop and laptop computers, but with much lower overall penetration. Cellphones, in contrast, have a much flatter distribution by income.

Phishing: Avoid Getting Hooked by Cybercriminals

Cybercriminals are currently baiting their collective hooks in anticipation of reeling in your hard-earned money and gutting your identity. Will you wind up as a prize trophy or the one who got away?

“Phishing” refers to hooking people online through deceptive emails and Web sites that ask for private information -- usually financial passwords or account numbers. These emails and phony sites can appear very authentic. Unless you follow the proper precautions, it can be very difficult to tell what is safe and what isn’t. We’re here to shed some light on this shadowy practice and help you avoid the phishing hook.

Just follow these helpful tips:

1. Don’t follow links asking for information.
Phishing emails are stuffing inboxes everywhere. Some telltale signs to look for include vague salutations like “Dear Account Holder,” along with a dire warning to “take action immediately.” They also typically arrive proclaiming they hail from your financial institution. Maybe they’ll ask you to resubmit or confirm your password or perhaps your account number.

But no matter how authentic the email may appear, do not respond. Instead of following a link in an email or an online advertisement, type the address of your bank or financial institution directly into the address line of your browser. (It is still safe to bank and shop online, you just need to make certain the site you are banking on is actually your bank and not a decoy). If you have a problem logging into your account, call your bank or credit card company first to find out if there are any issues with your account -- and ask for a password reset. The point is, there is no reason for a bank to email you to ask for your account information. After all, they already have it. Why wouldn’t the company just call you?

2. Be suspicious of hidden URLs.
If an email prompts you to click on a link, be aware that the URL may be different from what you think it is. Therein lies the potential for a con.

Some links can be shortened using sites that reduce long URLs (aka Uniform Resource Locators -- the “www.” address you use to visit Internet sites) into shorter, more manageable ones. It’s a helpful, legitimate service but one that the bad guys can use to obscure a link’s true location. Other URLs might appear legitimate, but a subtle character change or space is all it takes to lead you to a phishing site. Be aware. Never reply to an email with your financial or personal information.

3. Change your passwords periodically.
Yes, we hear you: Memorising passwords can be annoying. But it’s a vital part to remaining secure online. Far too many of us rely on easy-to-guess passwords and stick with them for years. Drop this bad habit ASAP. Create passwords that use letters and numbers with both upper- and lower-case characters thrown into the mix.

Think you’ll never be able to remember them? A good, secure password management system can help alleviate the pain, keeping track of all of your logins and shielding them from prying eyes. Remember: The greater the complexity, the stronger the security -- something especially important for financial sites.

4. Check your financial accounts regularly.
Reading your monthly statements may not top curling up with the latest best-seller, but a few minutes here can avoid hours of headaches later.

Check for suspicious charges or debits, and if you spot any, inquire about them immediately. Often, these charges turn out to be benign, like a purchased placed by your spouse or a forgotten transaction. But if they aren’t, you need to alert your bank or credit card company right away.

Cybercriminals are relying on people being complacent. Don’t fall into their trap. If your information has been stolen, the sooner you report it, the better.

Story by Jennifer Martinez, Jennifer is a freelance writer who specialises in family computer topics.

Display Spending Begins to Catch Up with Search

Focus on branding helps display start to close the gap

In 2010, both search and display will see increases greater than the rise in total US online ad spending, estimated by eMarketer at 13.9%. But between 2011 and 2014, eMarketer projects online display spending will grow faster than overall online spending, while search spending will lag slightly behind.

The increase in display advertising will be driven partly by the dramatic rise predicted in online video advertising, set to grow by at least 34% every year through 2014. Banner ads will experience more moderate gains of between 7% and 16.2% annually, while rich media spending will stagnate.

In 2010, eMarketer estimates US advertisers will spend $12.37 billion on paid search, compared with $8.88 billion on online display ads. Search will still get the most dollars in 2014, at $18.84 billion, but display will have closed the gap somewhat and reach $15.92 billion in spending that year.

“The growth of display doesn’t necessarily mean that advertisers are spending less on search,” said David Hallerman, eMarketer principal analyst. “Much of the display ad spending gains are new dollars coming online—which is part of a bigger trend towards more spending on branding, rather than spending focused on direct response alone.”

Display ads like static banners have a bad reputation for low clickthrough rates but still serve an important branding purpose. “Banner ads today mainly have subliminal effects on the audience,” said Hallerman. “That makes banners difficult to measure directly. However, the uptick in search results due to banners from the same advertiser is a long-standing pattern seen by sophisticated digital marketers.”

Consumers Believe in Positive Word-of-Mouth

Good news about brand buzz

Many marketers still struggle with the loss of control over their brand that comes with the ability of consumers to discuss them—and have those messages widely disseminated—across social media. But most brand-related chatter, both online and offline, is positive. And positive buzz carries more weight with consumers, according to research from Keller Fay Group.

In a study of hundreds of thousands of conversations, the firm found about two-thirds of word-of-mouth brand references were “mostly positive.” Those can be powerful.

Two-thirds of study respondents thought positive word-of-mouth was credible, compared with fewer than half who believed negative buzz. Positive information was also more likely to be passed on to others, more than twice as likely to get people to look for more information, and had nearly four times the chance of pushing consumers to make a purchase.

Overall, word-of-mouth is generally positive, but some industries do get better buzz than others. Children’s products and food brands tended to get the most positive mentions, while net advocacy on behalf of companies in the telecommunications, financial services and healthcare industries was lowest. But even for those brands, the majority of word-of-mouth was still upbeat.

The Keller Fay research supports findings by women-focused marketing and communications firm Harbinger, which reported a greater motivation to share good brand experiences than bad ones among female internet users in North America. Consumers trying to give others advice seem to be more interested in directing friends and family toward brands they like than away from brands they have had a problem with.

Watchdog urges Julia Gillard to reject NBN's monopoly plan

THE competition regulator has punched a hole in the business case for the $36bn NBN by urging the government to reject a proposal to extend its monopoly.

It is understood the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has told the government to discard the NBN Co's contentious plan to build only 14 points of interconnection - where retail service providers will hook into the fibre network to deliver broadband services to consumers - in five capital cities and require 200 points to be implemented.

The rejection could slash the NBN Co's commercial returns from the services it plans to eventually sell and would curb its market dominance.

NBN Co expects to produce returns that will beat the long-term government bond rate, which is a modest 5.41 per cent - but this was predicated on its strategy of 14 interconnection points.

The heavily edited summary of its business case, released last week, argued that if the government's solution on interconnection points "does not promote the same intensity of retail competition", the company's internal rate of return could be 50 to 80 basis points lower. This would be because of a "slower take-up of broadband and slower introduction of retail services that require higher speeds".

Start The ACCC's advice has been presented to the government and is awaiting delivery to cabinet next week for final consideration.

Critics had complained the NBN Co's plan was wasteful because it bypassed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of existing fibre-optic cable built by companies such as Telstra and Optus.

Concerns were also raised that the plan would make the NBN Co too powerful and crowd out competition. "It was crazy of them to want to overbuild parts where there are functioning competitive markets," said one industry source. "It's a win for the industry and it will remind the NBN Co who is in charge here."

The NBN Co has been arguing its plan is the best way to deliver uniform national wholesale pricing. An NBN spokeswoman said last night the body had "said consistently that industry structure is a matter for government and that we will build whatever number of POIs they decide following consideration of the recommendations flowing from the ACCC's public consultation process".

Julia Gillard promised a uniform national wholesale price as part of a policy aimed at maintaining the support of independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor. There are now concerns about how the government will deliver on that promise.

It is understood the advice to government seeks to tackle the issue via other mechanisms, such as subsidies to regional and rural areas funded from the federal budget or an industry levy. The NBN Co's plans had infuriated major telecom companies, which said it would serve only to leave unused assets that could otherwise have been used to lower the costs paid by consumers.

The telcos had warned that execution of the strategy would have resulted in compensation claims worth "hundreds of millions" of dollars.

Yesterday, the industry was relieved at suggestions the advice to government supported their position. "People seem to think we support an NBN under any circumstances, " said Optus director of government and corporate affairs Maha Krishnapillai. "There are a whole lot of decisions that make NBN borderline and this is one of them. One of the most important principles has been wholesale-only and maximum competition wherever possible, so it's a good thing we are now moving in that direction."

Story by Mitchell Bingemann and Annabel Hepworth www.theaustralian.com.au

Facebook used to recruit 'drug mules'

International drug syndicates are using social networking site Facebook to recruit young Malaysian women as 'drug mules', the deputy foreign minister said.

The government has previously sounded the alarm over the number of Malaysian women becoming caught up in drug trafficking, many of them drawn into the trade by smooth-talking conmen.

Deputy Foreign Minister Richard Riot said that men in the syndicates, many from Nigeria and South Africa, 'picked up' their unsuspecting victims on Facebook, promising them rewards to carry packages for them.

'It has been happening for quite some time, these girls are being lured by these men on Facebook, these men chat with them, become friends, gain the girls' trust then use them as drug mules to smuggle narcotics,' he told AFP.

'They even offer to pay for holidays to Japan, China and South America, asking the girls to carry packages, bags or gifts that contain drugs,' he added.

'We are advising these Internet savvy university-aged girls to think before accepting such holidays and gifts as such things always come with strings attached.'

Riot said that 785 out of 1,560 Malaysians arrested overseas since 1991 were drug mules, including 149 women.

Seventy of those on drug trafficking charges are facing death sentences, he said, but was unable to say how many were recruited on Facebook.

Concerned over the large number of young women caught up in trafficking, the government in 2008 considered forcing those travelling abroad on their own to have written approval from their parents or employers.

The idea was shot down following criticism by women's groups.

Malaysians have embraced social networking sites enthusiastically.

According to a study by global research firm TNS released last month, they are the most sociable people on the Internet with an average of 233 friends in their network, compared to 68 in China and just 29 in Japan.

2011 Trends: Content Marketing Is Critical

Next year, marketers will need to rethink their approach to advertising and marketing and intensify their focus on creating magnetic content that will naturally attract consumers, rather than relying solely on the interruption model of advertising, which consumers are responding to less and less. Think pull vs. push.

Magnetic content can include anything created on behalf of a brand—be it an ad, YouTube video, online game, Facebook page, Twitter promo or mobile app—that consumers genuinely want to engage with and pass along to others. This content entertains, amuses, informs, serves a function or satisfies a consumer need. It’s welcome instead of annoying or interruptive.

Marketers, especially those working in social media, have seen the proven value of branded content, sometimes also referred to as “earned media.” Nearly three-quarters of US companies with a social media strategy used such content in their campaigns, making it the most common type of content used, according to a June 2010 study by King Fish Media, HubSpot and Junta42.

Creating effective, breakthrough advertising has always been a challenge for marketers, as well as for the agencies charged with the task. But the classic interruption-disruption model of advertising is moribund. Marketers should ask themselves five questions about the magnetic content they are seeking to create to determine whether it will be truly attractive to their audience:

1. Is the content unique?
2. Is the content useful?
3. Is the content well executed?
4. Is the content fun?
5. Does the content make good use of the channel in which it appears (e.g., social, mobile, video)?

Marketers should base their magnetic content ideas on well-researched customer behaviors, attitudes and lifestyles. This entails altering your emphasis in marketing from “selling product” to identifying and solving a consumer need or want that transcends or complements the physical product or service you are selling. Ask yourself this critical question: Besides your product, what can you do for the consumer?

Mobile Advertisers Leverage Social Media

About one-quarter of mobile advertising campaign actions in October 2010 led to social media post-click, according to the October 2010 Millennial Media SMART Report.

Social Media Drives Brand Engagement, Lead Gen

Social media, as a post-click campaign action, represented 26% of the mobile campaign actions in October 2010. The top advertisers on the Millennial network from the finance, automotive, entertainment and retail verticals leveraged the social media platform to drive further brand engagement, as well as lead generation.

Retail Promotion, M-commerce Grow as Campaign Actions

Retail promotion and m-commerce as post-click campaign actions experienced tremendous growth month-over-month with a 13% and 8% increase, respectively. Millennial analysis shows the increase is tied to brands in the retail and CPG verticals developing promotions to drive increased holiday sales through mobile advertising.

Traffic to Site Top Mobile Ad Destination

Traffic to Site continued to be the top destination for brands advertising on mobile and represented a 42% impression share in October 2010. Custom Landing page as a campaign destination grew slightly to represent 40% share of impressions.

More than eight in 10 (82%) of campaigns on the Millennial network drove to these two mobile web destinations, providing further validation that brands are finding value in maintaining a persistent mobile web presence.

Targeted Audience Campaign Methods More Popular

The trend of advertisers leveraging targeted-audience campaign methods (GEO, Demographic, Behavioral Audience and Audience Takeover) continued for the fifth consecutive month, with 44% of campaigns on the Millennial network leveraging these methods.

Broad reach methods (Run of Network, Custom Subnet and Channel) represented 56% of the campaign targeting mix in October 2010. These methods are recommended for broad-reaching brand campaigns and brands first entering the mobile space.

Audience takeover as a targeting method accounted for 7% of the targeted audience mix in October 2010. Millennial data indicates brands in the entertainment and CPG verticals utilized this targeting method to achieve 100% share of voice for new movie releases and product launches.

Mobile Restaurant Interaction Spikes

The restaurant vertical received a significant 51% spike in mobile interaction during the four-day Thanksgiving weekend (November 25-28, 2010), likely due to consumers seeking a break from cooking after preparing a large holiday meal. CPG had a 31% mobile interaction lift, which Millennial analysis indicates resulted from consumers seeking cooking tips on the actual Thanksgiving holiday.

The movie sub-vertical of entertainment received a 31% lift as consumers sought options to amuse themselves on their day off, which also probably led to a 19% spike in mobile access of dating sites.

Text Coupons Most Popular Retail-related Consumer Mobile Activity

Looking at a variety of retail-related consumer mobile activities, text coupons lead both in terms of current engagement (25%) and planned engagement in the next 12 months (47%), according to a recent study from IHL Group. Probably due to the high percentage of consumers who will already be using mobile text coupons within 12 months, planned engagement within 12 to 24 months is only 9%, tied for second-lowest with consumer self-checkout.

The other two retail-related consumer mobile activities currently used by more than 20% of mobile phone subscribers are regular barcode (22%) and 2D barcode (21%). Coupons on mobile screen only have 16% current engagement, but 38% planned engagement within the next 12 months, second only to text coupons in this category.

Adelaide hacker infects 22,000 computers

An Adelaide computer hacker infected more than 22,000 computers in Australia and overseas with a program to capture banking details, a court has heard.

Anthony Scott Harrison, 20, used the internet to teach himself the necessary hacking and programming skills to launch his attack in 2009 but was caught when suspicious web activity was spotted and tracked by federal police.

He also modified and sold software to allow others to infect computers, with his offending flowing from his obsession with the world of cyber fantasy.

Harrison pleaded guilty to seven charges including four counts of modifying computer data to cause harm.

Defence counsel John Edwards told the South Australian District Court on Wednesday that from the age of 14 his client had become obsessed with playing online computer games and had become 'immersed in the world of cyber fantasy'.

At one stage he was playing online for up to 15 hours a day, often using a simulated hacking game called Slave Hack.

Mr Edwards said Harrison became quite skilled at computer programming and had the capacity to commit serious offending.

But he said a clear distinction should be drawn between what he had the potential to do and what he actually did.

Harrison took only small amounts of money, and his actions were mostly experimental or the result of youthful curiosity, the court was told.

'He never had any intention to make it a large-scale, criminal enterprise,' Mr Edwards said.

He asked Judge Paul Rice to impose a suspended jail sentence and told the court Harrison was interested in becoming an internet security consultant.

Prosecutor Tracey Nelson said 22,370 computers had been infected, and the impact of Harrison's offending had the potential to be felt across the globe.

'Any of us could become a victim to this type of offending very, very easily,' she said.

Harrison will be sentenced on January 13. The judge was told there had been no similar cases across Australia to guide him in regard to what penalty to impose.

Story source: www.bigpond.com

EU wades into Google antitrust probe

Europe has launched a full-frontal attack on internet giant Google, formally opening an antitrust probe after rivals accused the Silicon Valley giant of rigging the online search market.

European Union competition watchdogs on Tuesday announced their investigation, after smaller companies accused Google of 'unfavourable treatment' of their services in both unpaid and sponsored search results, the crucial listings that make the web navigable.

Competition authorities are also probing whether Google's own services - including YouTube video, book-scanning project or telephony - are getting 'preferential placement' when users punch in search queries, some of which may lead to consumer spending.

Brussels 'will conduct an in-depth investigation of the case as a matter of priority,' a statement said.

Already nine months in gestation, however, it carries echoes of a decade of antitrust pursuit of fellow computer giants Intel and Microsoft - each of whom copped billion-euro fines in total - over issues from PC chips to web browsers.

An investigation does not necessarily trigger legal action, but the latest blow for the company comes on top of an earlier rap from France over restrictive advertising practices and ongoing national probes in Germany and Italy - not to mention its Street View application raising vociferous privacy concerns.

Google's share of the EU's online advertising was last pegged at around 30 per cent in 2008.

Its part of the core US search market grew to 66.1 per cent in September, according to industry tracker comScore.

The company posted a 32 per cent leap in net profit to 2.17 billion dollars between July and September, its latest available results.

One of the complainants, British search site Foundem, said in a lengthy statement outlining its February complaint that Google's methods 'stifle innovation, suppress competition, and erode consumer choice.'

The commission wants to check if Google was 'lowering the ranking of unpaid search results' and examine other allegations of advertising interference including the imposition of exclusivity clauses, restricting ads from competing providers and data on consumer impact.

'When a user searches for queries like 'flights from San Francisco to London,' we think the most useful answer is showing fares and flights, not just a collection of links,' a Google spokesperson argued.

The company said it would cooperate with the probe, saying: 'There's always going to be room for improvement, and so we'll be working with the commission to address any concerns.'

Insisting 'ads are always clearly marked,' the spokesperson set the tone for the battle ahead by recalling that 'sites have complained and even sued us over the years, but in all cases there were compelling reasons why their sites were ranked poorly by our algorithms.'

Microsoft's portion of the US search market improved a fraction to 11.2 per cent, while that of Yahoo! slipped from 17.4 per cent in August to 16.7 in September, comScore reported last month.

Approximately 12.4 billion dollars will be spent in the United States this year on ads on search engines, with Google expected to rake in 73.3 per cent of that cash, according to eMarketer.

Story source: ninemsn

SocNet Viewing Most Increased Online Activity

US online adults were most likely to say they have increased their viewing of friends’ photos and information on social networks out of a wide variety of online activities during the past year, according to results of a new Harris Poll.

1/3 Have Increased SocNet Viewing

About one-third (34%) of online US adults say they have increased their viewing of friends’ photos and information on social networks either significantly or somewhat in the past year. This was the highest percentage combined response for increasing any of the eight activities presented to respondents (multiple answers were accepted).

Reading newspapers/current events followed at a distant second with a combined 26% saying they have increased this online activity either significantly or somewhat in the past year. However, somewhat mitigating this low rate of increased online activity is an often lower rate of decreased online activity.

For example, only a combined 8% of online adults say they have decreased their viewing of friends’ photos and information on social networks either significantly or somewhat in the past year. A full 23% say this activity is not applicable and 34% say it has not changed.
Results are similar for most other activities, with the not changed rate of many hovering above 50%. Shopping had the highest combined rate of decrease (17%).

Interestingly, a leading 55% of respondents say posting information on their own blogs is not applicable, and 43% say posting or commenting on friends’ blogs is not applicable, reflecting the shrinking popularity of blogs among US online users.

SocNet Users, Young, Educated More Likely to Increase Online Activity

Almost across the board, social media users, younger and better educated respondents are more likely to say they have increased an online activity in the past year. The difference between social media users and non-social media users is most pronounced in rates of viewing friends’ photos and information on social networks, posting and commenting information on friends’ or own blogs, and posting comments/reviews about brands, products or services.

Conversely, non-social media users were more likely than social media users to have increased reading newspapers/current events, the only online activity where they surpassed social media users.

Blogging, reading newspapers and review posting were the only areas where increase rates were not highest among 18-to-34-year-olds. Posting information on your own blog, reading newspapers and posting comments/reviews had the highest rates of increase among 35-to-44-year-olds, posting/commenting on friends’ blogs had the highest rate of increase among 45-to-54-year-olds.

While there was some variety among what age brackets were the second-most-likely to have increased an online activity, 55-plus respondents had the lowest response rate in any area except shopping, where their increase rate of 22% beat 45-to-54-year-olds (20%) and tied 35-to-44-year-olds.

Meanwhile, respondents with a high school education or less were the least likely to have increased all eight online activities. Those with a college degree or more had higher increase rates than those with some college in every activity except posting comments on friends’ blogs and posting reviews.

3 in 10 Use SocNets for Product Reviews

Only a combined 28% of online adults say they have used social media to rant or rave about a company, brand or product. However, a combined 80% of respondents agree strongly or somewhat they give up part of their privacy by participating in social media, and a combined 73% agree strongly or somewhat social media only reveals a snapshot, rather than a full portrait, of who they are.

6 in 10 SocNet Users Feel More Connected

Six in 10 (59%) of social network users say they feel more connected to people now than previously, according to another recent Harris Poll. That figure is highest among 18-to-34-year-olds (63%) and females (61%). Similar percentages (58% overall, 63% of 18-to-34-year-olds, 60% of females) say they keep in touch with friends more now than in the past.

Social network users say this even as majorities admit they recently have had less face-to-face contact with friends (55%) and know what’s going on with many of their friends and acquaintances, but don’t interact with them personally or individually (60%). Negative emotional impact of this loss of personal contact appears small, as only 32% of social network users feel lonelier now than previously.

Smartphone Popularity Increases

Smartphones showed an increasing presence in the US mobile device market in October 2010, according to the latest Millennial Media Mobile MIX report.

Smartphones are 7 of Top 10 Monthly Mobile Devices

Looking at October 2010 US marketshare figures for mobile devices, Millennial data shows smartphones occupying seven of the top 10 spots. This includes number one Apple iPhone (about 16% marketshare) and number two Blackberry Curve (about 8% marketshare).

In addition, smartphones constituted 20 of the top 30 mobile devices for the month. The list also included three connected devices (including number three Apple iPod Touch with about 7.5% marketshare). The highest-ranking feature phone out of the remaining seven devices on the list was number five Samsung Freedom (about 2%).

Smartphones Account for 6 in 10 Mobile Phone Impressions

Smartphone impression share increased 3% month-over-month and accounted for 61% of the mobile phone impression share in October. Millennial analysis indicates this increase demonstrates the continued rapid consumer adoption of smartphones.

Meanwhile, feature phone impression share increased 1% month-over-month and represented 28% of the smartphone, feature phone and connected device mix.

Android Ties iOS

Android is now tied with iOS as the largest smartphone OS on the Millennial network, with an 8% increase month-over-month and 37% impression share on the network.

For the first time, Symbian was featured in the Millennial smartphone OS mix and had a 2% impression share during October 2010.

Device Input Static, Carriers Diverse

The device input mix remained relatively static month-over-month, with touchscreen and Touch & QWERTY devices making up 75% of the total impressions. Meanwhile, the carrier mix continued to demonstrate a growth in diversity of the mobile web with no carrier having more than 19% of the total impressions on the Millennial network.

Other Findings

• Android requests grew 65% month-over-month. Since January 2010, Android has grown 2,182%.
• Apple requests increased 12% month-over-month. Since January 2010, Apple has grown 32%.
• RIM requests increased 43% month-over-month. Since January 2010, RIM has increased 243%.
• iPad requests grew 112% month-over-month.

iPhone, Android Most Under Consideration

Data from a new IHL Group/Retail Connections study indicates 49% of mobile phone users are considering an iPhone for their next phone. The only other mobile phone platform approaching the iPhone in popularity was Android (40%). Blackberry followed at 22%. Only 8% of respondents are considering a Windows smartphone, meaning it has the same popularity as a standard cell phone. A tiny fraction of respondents (1%) are considering an HP/Palm-based smartphone.

SocNet Marketing Spending to Reach $38B by 2015

Combined advertising and promotional spending will hit $38 billion by 2015, roughly 440% more than the $7 billion projected for 2010, according to a new white paper from Borrell Associates.

SocNet Promo Spending to Grow 380%

Breaking the combined social network marketing spending stream into advertising and promotional streams, “The Social Networking Explosion: Ad Revenue Outlook” projects that $5 billion of total $7 billion (about 71%) social network marketing spending in 2010 will consist of promotional expenditures.

From 2010 to 2015, social network promotional spending will grow about 380%. In 2011, it will grow 40% to $7 billion, and then slow down to about 14% growth in 2012, totaling $8 billion, However, social network promotional spending will then double to $16 billion in 2013, and continue rapid growth the next year, increasing 31% to $21 billion before slowing again with 12.5% growth to $24 billion in 2015.

SocNet Ad Spending to Grow 600%

Although Borrell data shows social network advertising spending will remain at lower levels than promotional spending through the next five years, the total growth rate will be an even higher 600%.

In 2011, social network ad spending will grow 200%, from $2 billion to $6 billion, putting it on close to an even keel with promotional spending. Ad spending will remain close to promotional spending in 2012, rising almost 17% to $7 billion.

However, in 2013, ad spending will once again lag behind promotional spending, growing a very healthy 43% to $10 billion. Growth will then continue at a still impressive 20% pace to $12 billion in 2014 and 17% pace to $14 billion in 2015.

Consumers Fuel SocNet Marketing Spending Growth

Borrell analysis indicates the rapidly growing marketing spend in social networking is fueled by wildly climbing consumer use of social networking services. The paper cites data from comScore which says Facebook alone had more than 100 million unique visitors in the US last December, out of 400 million registered users worldwide.

The average Facebook visitor came to the site 27 times during that month, almost once a day. As of the end of 2009, one hour in every nine spent online was spent on a social network site. More than two-thirds of the nation’s largest businesses recruit new employees through social networks, and 13% more plan to start this year.

Gartner: Email Trumps SocNets in Current Importance

Asked to rate various technology tools on a scale of 1 to 7 (7 meaning extremely important and 1 not important at all), the average respondent to a recent Gartner study rated social networking tools at slightly more than 4. Social networking only ranked ahead of four other tools, all of which have a social media aspect: wikis, social tagging/bookmarking, web feeds and blogs.

Email was clearly ranked as most important, with an average score near 7. The only other tool to receive an average score of more than 6 was group calendars/scheduling. The top five tools were rounded out by web conferencing, team workspaces, and simple end-user tools.

Web founder says Facebook a danger

The man credited with inventing the internet has lashed out at Facebook and other social networking sites saying they are moving the web away from its founding principles.

In an essay in Scientific American magazine, Tim Berners-Lee says social networking sites are tightly controlling the information put on there by users meaning the internet's being split into fragmented islands.

Berners-Lee said there is a chance Facebook could become so big that it could limit innovation.

Source: www.ninemsn.com.au

Why Social Media Is Top Priority for Search Marketers

Social will be at the center of SEO and PPC campaigns

Is 2011 set to be the “year of Facebook,” even among search marketers? Based on what US advertisers told search marketing agency Covario, it’s definitely the year of social.

Search marketers have discovered how social media marketing can help build their search engine optimization efforts, and respondents to the Covario survey said their No. 1 priority for SEO next year was integration with social media programs. According to the report, “leveraging social media for scalable link-building efforts is a major initiative for advertisers.”

Social media will also play an important part in paid search efforts next year. Search ad campaigns on sites like Facebook and LinkedIn were top of mind for nearly half of advertisers surveyed—far ahead of priorities like local search or dealing with recent changes to major search engines (for example, Google Instant and Yahoo!-Bing integration).

The report noted that major spending increases on Facebook search advertising are planned for 2011. Covario estimated many advertisers would be spending 10% to 20% of their pay-per-click budgets on Facebook next year, giving the social networking site a major share of that market. The report also indicated that rather than pulling dollars away from other paid search spending areas, these would be additions to the search budget coming from display or offline budgets instead.