NDM Story

Microsoft To Ditch Internet Explorer BrandThe next version of the web browser will be renamed, as the company hopes to shake off negative perceptions about its software.

http://news.sky.com/story/1447314/microsoft-to-ditch-internet-explorer-brand

After being blighted by security concerns, sluggish performance and frustrated users, Microsoft has unveiled plans to ditch the Internet Explorer brand. Under the codename Project Spartan, the technology company is launching a complete overhaul of its web browser - and hopes a faster, sleeker alternative will encourage users to download it on their PCs, smartphones and tablets. Internet Explorer was an essential tool for getting on-line in the 1990's, but in the face of strong competition from Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, the software has been lambasted by some critics as being "only good for downloading other web browsers". Despite Microsoft creating tongue-in-cheek adverts where it concedes IE is the browser that "everyone loves to hate", it has been unable to shake off the negative image associated with the brand. Chris Capossela, the company's marketing chief, has confirmed the browser will be re-branded when Windows 10 launches later this year - but its name is yet to be announced. Although far from well liked, Internet Explorer is definitely well known. At one point, its market share of on-line users was believed to be in excess of 90%, partly because of how the browser was pre-installed on Windows operating systems. In 2013, Microsoft was fined $730m (£495m) by EU regulators because Windows users had not been given the chance to choose a different browser - leading the company to fall foul of competition rules..

NDM Story

Apple iTunes And App Stores In Global Crash
Frustrated customers say they are unable to buy songs, films and apps as the massively popular online stores go down.

http://news.sky.com/story/1443078/apple-itunes-and-app-stores-in-global-crash

The company's status page listed the services as red-flagged and "unavailable for all users". The Mac App and iBooks stores were also down. "Customers may be unable to make purchases from the App Store, iTunes Store, iBooks Store, or Mac App Store," said the Apple timeline message. Many users were also unable to sign in to their iCloud mail and storage. Apple said the problems were finally resolved at around 8pm UK time. People were able to access the stores and see content, but reported a range of error messages when trying to buy a song, film or app. Others said the download progress wheel was disappearing without explanation. Users around the world vented their frustration on social media. "Come on #AppleStore #itunes #down #Trinidad," tweeted one user.

NDM Story

Cash Transfer For Facebook MessengerUS users will be able to send money to their friends for free, and Facebook has moved to reassure people the system is secure.

http://news.sky.com/story/1448168/cash-transfer-for-facebook-messenger

The new feature will begin to be rolled out in the US over "the coming months", and will be free to use, the social network said.A dollar sign icon will be added below the text entry box, next to where users tap to add audio notes, images or emojis. Once the icon has been tapped, users will be able to enter the amount they wish to send and transfer it via their debit card. It is not known yet if the feature will be extended outside the US. Facebook has moved to reassure users that the system will be secure, pointing out that some financial transactions have been taking place on the site for years. A spokesman said: "A dependable and trusted payments processor for game players and advertisers since 2007, Facebook processes more than one million transactions daily on the site and also handles all the payments processed on Messenger. "Incorporating security best practices into our payments business has always been a top priority. "We use secure systems that encrypt the connection between you and Facebook as well as your card information when you ask us to store it for you. "We use layers of software and hardware protection that meet the highest industry standards. "These payment systems are kept in a secured environment that is separate from other parts of the Facebook network and that receive additional monitoring and control. "A team of anti-fraud specialists monitor for suspicious purchase activity to help keep accounts safe." The first time users access the service they will have to add a debit or credit card to their Facebook account. Users will then be able to create and use a pin code to complete transfers. Facebook confirmed that iPhone users will be able to use the Touch ID fingerprint scanner to send money. The feature will also be accessible on desktop computers.

NDM story

Twitter 'could be vital tool in general election'
Research from social media platform says 45% of users aged 18-34 became interested in a cause they learned about through the site

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/18/twitter-vital-tool-general-election

Twitter could be an important tool for political parties to persuade young voters ahead of the general election, research from the social media site suggests. Of the Twitter users aged 18 to 34 surveyed, 45% said they had become interested in or joined a political or social cause that they learned about through the site, and 37% said they used the site to actively look for information about politics or the UK general election.

One in three 18- to 34-year-old users had changed their vote from one party to another, 47% had reconsidered their views on a specific issue based on what they’d seen on the site, and 20% said they were still undecided about how they planned to vote.

NDM Story

Twitter puts trillions of tweets up for sale to data miners
Company plans to make content generated by users available to commerce, academia and even police involved in crowd control

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/18/twitter-puts-trillions-tweets-for-sale-data-miners

You are travelling by plane to see your newborn grandchild. As you board the aircraft, the cabin crew address you by name and congratulate you on the arrival of a bouncing baby boy. On your seat, you find a gift-wrapped blue rattle with a note from the airline.

In Twitter data strategy chief Chris Moody’s vision of the future, companies surprising their customers like this could become an everyday occurrence – made possible because Twitter is listening.

Computer systems are already aggregating trillions of tweets from the microblogging site, sorting and sifting through countless conversations, following the banter and blustering, ideas and opinions of its 288 million users in search of commercial opportunities.

It is not only commercial interests that are mining the data. Academics are using it to gauge the mood in a football crowd, and trying to shed light on whether Premier League players such as Manchester United’s Radamel Falcao are overpaid – with a team of researchers from Reading, Dundee and Cambridge universities testing whether top-flight footballers’ salaries are related purely to performance on the pitch or can be boosted by popularity on social media.

Selling data is as yet a small part of Twitter’s overall income – $70m out of a total of $1.3bn last year, with the lion’s share of cash coming from advertising, but the social network has big plans to increase that. Its acquisition of Chris Moody’s paralytics company Gnip for $130m last April is a sign of that intent.

NDM story

Lesbian app Dattch re-brands as HER after raising $1 million
Revamped app promises to introduce users to ‘a lesbian that hasn't slept with any of your friends’

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/19/lesbian-app-dattch-rebrands-as-her-after-raising-1m

Introducing HER, a “lesbian social app” – born after the company behind Dattch relocated from London to San Francisco, changed its name and secured more than $1 million (£630,000) in funding.

The app has been completely revamped, evolving into a much more social experience with expanded content including queer-themed news and blogs, event notices and an improved matching algorithm.

Founder and chief executive Robyn Exton writes: “HER is about creating a space where lesbian, bi, queer, curious, flexisexual, pan sexual and not-so-straight women can meet and find out what’s going on in their lesbian world.

“Dattch taught us a huge amount and you’ll see the best parts of it in HER, along with a whole new experience incorporating everything our community kept asking us for. More social, less dating.”

Identities and The Media - Index

Index

The Riots
http://v-sahota.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/mm-38-london-riots.html


Post-colonialism Film analysis
http://v-sahota.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/post-colonialism.html


Post-colonialism Theory and clip
http://v-sahota.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/post-colonialism.html


Feminism: Post feminism - No more page 3
http://v-sahota.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/no-more-page-3.html


Feminism: Waves of Feminism
http://v-sahota.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/feminism.html


Collective identity and the media 
http://v-sahota.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/collective-identity.html

Feminism

Waves of feminism

First wave: early 20th century, suffragette movement (right to vote).
Second wave: 1960s – 1990s, reproductive rights (pill), abortion, equal pay.
Third wave: 1990s – present, empowerment, reclaiming of femininity (high heels, sexuality etc. See Angela McRobbie's work on women's magazines).
Fourth wave? 2010 – ongoing, use of new technology (e.g. Twitter) for activism.

Fourth wave?
Many commentators argue that the internet itself has enabled a shift from ‘third-wave’ to ‘fourth-wave’ feminism. What is certain is that the internet has created a ‘call-out’ culture, in which sexism or misogyny can be ‘called out’ and challenged.

This culture is indicative of the continuing influence of the third wave, with its focus on challenging sexism and misogyny in advertising, film, television and the media.

Key quote: “power users of social media”

The internet has facilitated the creation of a global community of feminists who use the internet both for discussion and activism.
According to #FemFuture: Online Feminism, a report recently published by Columbia University’s Barnard Center for Research on Women, females aged between 18 and 29 are the ‘power users of social networking’.
Ched Evans: 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11324994/Ched-Evans-Who-is-Jean-Hatchet-leading-petitions-against-his-return-to-football.html

Ched Evans is a 26 yr old footballer, who has been convicted of rape. An anonymous woman with little description about herself, apart from the fact that she is a radical feminist and using a pseudonym Jean Hatchet. She has managed to collect over 160,000 signatures in September which stopped the footballer from returning to his former club. She then began another campaign  

The situation was sparked by the Jean Hatchet, an anonymous on-line feminist, that didn't want Ched Evans back on the pitch. She got got over 160, 000 signatures on-line which stopped the footballer from going beck on to the pitch. However if she hadn't taken any action then there would still be a big issue about him, however the on-line petition may have a huge effect on the footballers career, as he was going to be signed by Oldham Athletic, however this may not be going forward because of the petition. 

I believe that the case is more of a witch hunt than valid, only because there was no hard evidence against Ched Evans. I believe that this is a witch hunt, and the only reason Ched Evans is being accused is because of his profession. 

However if there was evidence that Ched Evans had indeed raped the young girl then this would be valid, as rape should not be let off easily, and he should of been punished. However as there was no evidence against him he was not punished and he was let go, however the on-line petition has had a huge impact on his career and his image as a footballer. 


Caroline Criado-Perez:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/04/caroline-criado-perez-twitter-rape-threats

This story is about Caroline Criado-Perez, after seeing that all females were going to be removed from the English bank notes, she had threaten to sue the bank of England under the 2010 Equality act. After being ignored, she was invited to the bank of England and asked if she would accept if they put Jane Austen on the back of the £10 note. After her success she had been sent death and rape threats via Twitter. 

I believe what she did was valid as women should speak up and have the right to be equal. However the way she has been treated and the things people are saying and threatening to do to her is totally inappropriate, and the comments have been so bad that two people have been arrested. Overall I think that what Caroline has done is good and she should be praised rather than being threatened. Emma Watson:
http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/9/emma-watson-gender-equality-is-your-issue-too

This story is about Emma Watson, a famous actor known for her acting in Harry Potter. She is launching a campaign called 'HeForShe'. She wants to end gender inequality but she wants from both genders, males and females. She says that when fighting for women's rights, it always ends in men hating on women, and Emma Watson wants this to end. 

The issue that Emma Watson speaks about is valid and is something that needs to be stopped, as women and men should have equal rights and should be treated equally. and the fact that she doesn't only speak about female inequality but also male inequality shows that she wants equal rights for both genders. Therefore I believe that her speech is valid.  

Collective identity

Collective identity is the shared sense of belonging to a group. In Media Studies, we need to consider the influence media has over a person’s sense of identity.

This is closely linked to the key concept of representation as the way groups are portrayed in the media can influence our sense of identity.

Theories

Marxism and the Frankfurt School

Marxists believe identity is constructed through hegemony imposed by the ruling elite. A sense of individual identity is a myth that prevents people challenging powerful groups.
This links to the Frankfurt School, a group of influential Marxists who viewed media audiences as passive vessels. They believe the media is used to control and manipulate people.


Daniel Chandler: CAGE

Daniel Chandler suggested the acronym CAGE, stating our identity is constructed through class, age, gender and ethnicity.


Stuart Hall: media construction

Stuart Hall suggests the media actively constructs our society rather than reflecting it back.

Our identity is part of this and therefore any sense of individuality we may feel is actually constructed through the media we engage with.


1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

This section is about how we are constructed through society and social factors have an affect on how we want to be seen.
2) List five brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

- Zara 
- Nike  
- Adiddas 
- Armani
-  Creative Recreation 

These are brands that I would associate myself with as I wear these brands. They reflect me as a person as they represent me. I don't wear very expensive clothes, and I don't show off too much and I believe through these brands i can look good without having too much attention. 


3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

 I believe this view to some extent. The expression 'Style over Substance' means that people in society now would rather look good and are focused more on the brands they have and the materials they own, rather than authenticity.

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it on-line to find out more.

high cultural value being placed on external factors such as physical beauty and fashion sense over internal traits such as intelligence or compassion (from article). 

Jean Baudrillards theory is that reality is being replaced. The media magazine is saying that people now care more about how they look rather than being intelligent and having knowledge. Which links to Baudrillards theory as their intelligence is being replaced with fashion, trends, and materialism. 

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

I believe that my presence on social media sites does reflect me to some extent, as there are some things that portray the type of person of person e.g. images and quotes. However there are also images or written posts that may not be so accurate, as a lot of the things I put up social media sites is more because it is funny and less to do with me.

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

My opinion on data mining is that it is perfectly fine, however the persons permission should be needed before a website can use their data on-line. As some people may not want data being looked at and being used, as they may feel it is an invasion of their privacy. However I personally think that data mining is fine and i have nothing against it. 

NDM story

A digital public space is Britain’s missing national institution
An alternative to the internet as shopping mall is emerging – a place where creative assets can be redistributed for non-commercial use

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/05/digital-public-space-britain-missing-national-institution

Commercial interests have shaped the internet, and have created such powerful organisations that governments now struggle to keep up – out-funded, out-lobbied and outwitted. Rather than reflecting the real world, the internet absorbs and amplifies it, re-presenting a version of our lives, our work and our culture, from the gross disproportion of privilege and access afforded to those even able to access the internet to the misogyny that cripples meaningful debate. Even acknowledging its infancy, the internet does not represent a version of ourselves of which we can be proud. From privacy and surveillance to our collective cultural record, where is the internet we are truly capable of? Quietly, excitedly, and in a modestly British way, there is an alternative emerging. Rather than the internet as shopping mall – defined and dominated by commercial interests – how could we build the public park of the internet?

Many of the concerns I have raised in this column – that we are primarily now consumers before citizens, that the ferocious disruption of technology is not being tempered with ethical oversight, about the failure of the BBC to embrace a digital future – all point in the same direction. We have a missing national institution.

The idea of a Digital Public Space was discreetly mooted by some of the BBC’s most overlooked and visionary staff as far back at 2010. February’s Warwick Commission report, a barometer for the UK’s cultural and creative health, picked out the project as one of six key goals, a digital cultural library of artistic and cultural assets.Many of the concerns I have raised in this column – that we are primarily now consumers before citizens, that the ferocious disruption of technology is not being tempered with ethical oversight, about the failure of the BBC to embrace a digital future – all point in the same direction. We have a missing national institution.

NDM story

Freedom campaigners warn against EU ministers pushing for 2-speed internetWhile the US voted to protect open internet, Europe is accused of permitting ‘every imaginable breach of net neutrality’

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/05/freedom-campaigners-warn-against-dangers-of-two-speed-internet

Days after the US voted to protect an open internet where all traffic is considered equal, proposals agreed by European telecoms ministers of 28 members states could allow a two–speed internet, where companies such as YouTube or Netflix could legally pay mobile networks or broadband providers for faster, more reliable delivery of their content – potentially to the detriment of other internet users.

Campaigners warn the move could stifle online innovation and undermine the digital economy.

The proposals also water down draft laws on mobile roaming. Instead of letting travellers within Europe make calls, send text messages or browse the web from their phones for the same price they pay at home, ministers want a cap on low-cost usage with operators able to charge more once the cap is exceeded.