Mediaboss Marketing

Apple TV got a makeover this week, too, but, unlike with the iPad, the revamped specs don't have reviewers delighted. Apple went with the same approach for both releases: Same gadgets, better insides. With the iPad, the better display, faster chip and LTE capabilities left reviewers giddy. But, Apple TV, with its new processor and interface left reviewers saying things like "This year's Apple TV is a strange little device," in the words of The Verge's Joshua Topolsky. That's because Apple TV doesn't just need a spec upgrade, it needs a design overhaul. Something we don't expect a post-Steve Jobs Apple to deliver.

Since Steve Jobs death, Apple, a place all about innovation, has only released products with zero design innovations. Reviewers (and consumers) forgive the beloved company for the iPhone 4S and new iPad because these products almost reach perfection, the specs are the limits. Apple TV, on the other hand, hasn't seen the sales or ravings that its fellow iBrethrenhave. Apple has sold 2.8 million TV units last fiscal year, compared to somewhere around 35 million iPads. And, Topolsky's not the only reviewer going "meh" for the updated TV. "The new-model of Apple TV looks and acts exactly like the previous model," says MacWorld's Jason Snell and "So no, Apple didnt give a huge incentive for current Apple TV owners to upgrade to the newer box," from TechCrunch's MG Siegler. Our general reviewer sentiment says the TV is "great," but nothing like the acclaim for the new iPad.

Apple often releases updated versions of old products, with revamped specs, as many commenters pointed out, when we made the case that Apple had lost its famed design flare. But, those are on products that have already revolutionized their categories, like the iPod, for example. Apple TV, though, still hasn't done much of anything revolutionary. "The new Apple TV feels more like a refresh rather than a leap ahead," notes Topolsky. The iPad, of course, was also just a refresh. But, the difference is the little TV box needs a leap ahead.

That leap ahead, specifically, is something that lets users cut the cord, or forget they ever wanted to. Apple still hasn't fixed that problem, explains Topolsky. "Then I reviewed the 2010 Apple TV, my biggest concerns were all about the content: the available content on a device like the Boxee Box or the Roku positively dwarfed the Apple TV," he says. "That's still true." A Steve Jobs-led Apple might've had the creativity and clout to pull off that kind of product creation. He did it with iTunes, after-all. But sans-Steve Jobs? This new TV doesn't do it.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at rgreenfield at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

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New Apple TV Epitomizes the Decline of Apple's Genius Design Theory

Taken Question Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC

Question Taken at the MARCH 14, 2012 Daily Press Briefing

March 15, 2012

________________________________________

QUESTION: What kind of Internet freedom support has the State Department provided in the Middle East region?

ANSWER: Advancing Internet freedom is a priority for this administration. From 2008 through 2011, the State Department and USAID have spent $76 million on Internet freedom programming. This year, at a time when we are making significant budget cuts in many areas, we anticipate spending $25 million in Internet freedom programming. Through these programs, we provide training and tools to civil society activists, in the Middle East and throughout the world, to enable them to freely and safely exercise their freedoms of expression, association, and assembly on the Internet and via other communication technologies.

Across the Middle East, we have seen that access to technological tools enables people to tell their story to the world when they are otherwise silenced by repressive governments. Our Internet freedom programming is aimed at making sure that voices for peaceful democratic reform in the region can be heard.

Countering increasingly active Internet surveillance and censorship efforts aimed at suppressing individuals exercise of their human rights requires a diverse portfolio of tools and training. State Department grants support more advanced technologies, including in Farsi and Arabic. Tools that have received support from the State Department help provide unfettered Internet access for hundreds of thousands of individuals in the Middle East. We also support the development of mobile security software to provide safer ways for activists in repressive societies to communicate, and technologies to enable them to post their own content online and protect against cyber attacks. Recently, State Department grantees have come to the aid of dozens of individuals and organizations in the region that have been victims of hacking or have had their accounts compromised. State has also supported the efforts of organizations that have trained over 7,500 activists worldwide, including many from the Middle East, in cyber-self defense.

In the face of growing repression, we continue to expand these important efforts to advance Internet freedom, in the Middle East and throughout the world.

ENDS

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Internet Freedom Programs in the Middle East (Taken Qn)

NEW PLYMOUTH, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Internet Truckstop, with the help from the Women In Trucking Association, has launched a program that will designate women-owned businesses on the truckstop.com load board.

This service will allow users to identify women-owned businesses within the trucking industry in a highly efficient way. The ability to identify these businesses is crucial for those companies trying to meet diversity goals.

Internet Truckstop has introduced this service because more shippers and logistics companies have diversity expectations. Some are looking for ways to meet their own internal business goals to be socially responsible. Others have diversity requirements imposed on them from the government when they are working on publicly funded projects.

According to Mark Rousseau, a WIT board member, "PepsiCo/Frito Lay are always looking for resources to help us meet our diversity goals. The combination of the truckstop.com load board and WIT working together will help us quickly identify women-owned businesses to help us meet our diversity needs."

Internet Truckstop Director of Freight Matching, Leigh Foxall said, "This new program is a great tool for making diversity matches between women business owners and the companies seeking to work with them."

About Internet Truckstop

Founded in 1995, Internet Truckstop is the FIRST and LARGEST freight matching service on the Web. Internet Truckstop offers more tools than any other freight matching service available. These easy-to-use tools, the largest freight database, and a commitment to the transportation industry make Internet Truckstop the leader in Internet freight matching.

About Women In Trucking

Women In Trucking Association (http://www.womenintrucking.org) was established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry. Membership is not limited to women, as sixteen percent of its members are men who support the mission. Women In Trucking is supported by its members and the generous support of Gold Level Partners; Bendix, Frito-Lay North America, Great Dane Trailers, Hyundai Translead and Walmart. For more information visit http://www.WomenInTrucking.org or call 888-464-9482.

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Internet Truckstop Identifies Women-Owned Businesses on the Truckstop.com Load Board

2012 Laurence Olivier Award Nominations Announced; Matilda The Musical Leads with 10

By Mark Shenton 15 Mar 2012

The nominations for the 2012 Laurence Olivier Awards saw the RSC's production of Matilda the Musical, which has already announced its intention to open on Broadway in 2013, lead the way with ten nominations in the maximum possible categories for a musical, including a collective nomination for its four young actresses who share the title role as Best Actress in a Musical.

Also recognized with multiple nominations were Ghost the Musical, which begins performances on Broadway March 15, and the National's production of London Road, which returns this summer.

On the plays front, there was another shared nomination, with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller nominated together for Best Actor in a Play for the roles they alternated in the National's Frankenstein. The National's production of One Man, Two Guvnors, still running at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, and The Ladykillers, running at the Gielgud through April 14, received five nominations each.

The nominations were announced in an event held March 15 at London's May Fair Hotel, which for the first time were also broadcast live online. They were announced by the 2011 Laurence Olivier Award winners Nancy Carroll and Roger Allam.

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The BBC will be giving the awards extensive live uninterrupted coverage on television (via the Red Button), on Radio 2 and online, with red carpet coverage from 5:30 PM London time and the ceremony starting at 6 PM. There will also be a simultaneous event held in New York at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall. It will take the form of a brunch (from 11:45 AM ET) and live relay of the ceremony from London (from 1 PM ET) for an invited audience of U.K. and U.S. theatre stars and professionals and special guests.

In a press statement, Mark Rubinstein, president of the Society of London Theatre, commented, "We are thrilled to announce the incredibly talented list of nominees for the Olivier Awards 2012 with MasterCard. It is truly representative of our diverse world-class London theatre across both the commercial and subsidised sectors, which continues to delight thousands of Londoners and visitors every day."

For more information on the Olivier Awards, visit http://www.olivierawards.com.

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2012 Laurence Olivier Award Nominations Announced; Matilda The Musical Leads with 10

Sometimes some of my readers here complain that I do not cover Bing enough. The truth is, it really isn't my fault, it is Bing's fault. 🙂

Why? Well, this site is very niche in that it only covers topics found in forums and social media areas. We figure, if the SEO/SEM community isn't discussing it, it likely is not worth being covered here. Things at the top of the mind of SEMs are often discussed in forums and social settings - the rest is all just "news."

So why is it Bing's fault they aren't covered too much here? Well - they do a horrible job, recently, keeping their Bing Forums clean and on topic. Just check out the Webmaster section, it is filled with spam or check out the indexing section. It has been like this for at least a month or more. It is almost impossible for me to find good threads in forums filled with spam.

So I check in on the forum every morning and see this stuff and I leave - hoping that the next day it will be cleaned up and never is.

In fact, I felt that Duane's post on mobile SEO URL structure was important, so I made my own thread about it at the forums. No responses because the place is a spam fest.

So much so, people at WebmasterWorld are complaining about the spam in the Bing forums.

Bing, I want to cover you more - please help me.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Original post:
Spammers Flock To Bing Webmaster Forums