UK consumers are spending almost half (45 per cent) of their waking hours watching TV, using their mobiles and other communications devices, new Ofcom research revealed. UK consumers are now sending four times as many texts per day than in 2004, spending almost a quarter of their internet time on social networking sites andspending 3 hours and 45 minutes per day watching TV. They are also using several types of media at the same time – with the average person cramming 8 hours 48 minutes of media into just over seven hours during the average day.

Facebook has launched its long awaited geo-location product called “Places”. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the mobile product will focus on tree major features: “It will allow users to share where they are with their friends; allow them to see who is near them; and allow them to discover new places around them”. Predictably, the product raised fears about privacy protection but company executives insisted there were strong privacy controls. Places is a mobile product for "advanced mobile browsers" and can be accessed through Facebook's most recent iPhone app or via touch.facebook.com. Direct competitors such as Gowalla, Yelp, Booyah and Foursquare - at least publicly - appeared eager to work with Facebook. Mr. Zuckerberg did not say anything directly about ads on Places, but hinted that that may come. This first version of Places will only roll out in the US. (Source: AdAge.com)

On August 20, 2010, Mattias Wedar will assume the position of new President of Eniro Denmark. For the past two years, he has held the position as Chief Information Officer, in addition to being a driving force in several of the development projects that influence the Eniro Group. Meanwhile, Einar Storsul will be appointed as the new Chief Information Officer. Einar has worked at Eniro since 2001, most recently as CTO for Eniro Norway.

Net neutrality has been in the news lately with the agreement between Google and Verizon in the centre of it. Net neutrality is the principle that all Internet traffic – content, platforms, and websites – should be treated equally by the networks that deliver them. Telecoms firms want the right for companies to pay a premium to have their content delivered faster than rival content, or to establish new layer of faster internet on which to serve paying, premium services. That would leave non-commercial sites on a poorer, slower web where they would find it harder to attract readers – changing the democratic nature of the Internet. It would also mean poorer users, or those in the developing world, would find it harder to access the "full" Internet experience.

After several years of double digit growth, broadband adoption has slowed dramatically in 2010, but growth among African-Americans jumped well above the national average with a 22% year-over-year broadband adoption growth. Two-thirds of American adults (66%) now have a broadband internet connection at home, a figure that is little changed from the 63% at a similar point in 2009. The findings come as the Obama administration has allocated $7.2 billion in stimulus money for broadband grants, saying fast access to the Internet is essential to encourage innovation and expand the economy. But by a 53%-41% margin, Americans say they do not believe that the spread of affordable broadband should be a major government priority. Contrary to what some might suspect, non-internet users are less likely than current users to say the government should place a high priority on the spread of high-speed connections. ( Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project)

Spanish telecoms operator Telefónica is to acquire a stake in Tuenti, Spain’s leading social network. In order to maintain Tuenti’s success, the current management team, headed by Zaryn Dentzel, will remain at the helm. This deal will increase Telefónica’s exposure to the innovative changes taking place on the web and to the services being sought by young people. It will also strengthen Telefónica’s Internet position, particularly in social networks, allowing it to tap into this growth business which is radically changing the way users interrelate and communicate online. Tuenti is Spain’s leading social network and boasts the highest number of traffic (ComScore May 2010) with 25,000 page views. (Source: Telefónica)

Nach den langen Streitigkeiten, die es um das Projekt Street View in der Vergangenheit gab, drückt Google nun aufs Tempo. Bis zum Jahresende soll der Dienst auch in Deutschland online gehen. Anwohner, die nicht wollen, dass ihr Haus im Netz für jedermann zu sehen ist, haben vier Wochen Zeit, vorab ihr Veto einzulegen. Dazu wird Google in der kommenden Woche auf der deutschen Street-View-Seite eine neue Funktion starten, über die die Unkenntlichmachung von Häusern eingefordert werden kann. Ebenso ist es möglich, sich per Brief an Google Deutschland zu wenden. Nach Ablauf der Monatsfrist wird die Online-Vetofunktion eingestellt. Alle bis dahin erfolgten Einsprüche sollen dann bearbeitet werden, sodass die entsprechenden Gebäude bereits beim Start von Street View unkenntlich gemacht sind. Auch danach kann Einspruch gegen die Veröffentlichung eingelegt werden. Allerdings sind die jeweiligen Aufnahmen eine Zeit lang online verfügbar. 

After many difficulties surrounding the project, the Street View service is to go live in Germany before the end of this year. Residents who object to have their house shown online have four weeks to demand that their house is made unrecognizable. To this end Google is to embed a new function on the German Street View page, which will remain active for four weeks. All demands for unrecognizability are supposed to be met within this time. Afterwards it is still possible to demand not to be shown on Street View, but for a limited time the house pictures will remain online.

Google Street View data gathering is still creating troubles for the company even in South Korea, one of Asia’s most internet-oriented countries. The company’s offices in Seoul were raided by the police on Tuesday because “Google might have illegally collected private internet data from late last year to May this year as it prepared to launch the service” the cyber unit of the South Korean police said. In May Google stopped its Street View camera cars in many countries, were similar accusations had been made, but in some locations they have since returned to the road. (Source: Financial Times).