Computer-driven targeted TV advertising could allow advertisements to reach 18 percent more consumers than traditional television advertising, according to researchers at AT&T Labs. The study used viewing information from cable boxes to determine what demographics watch what shows, and at what times of day. The study then analyzed different advertising patterns for a car manufacturer and a retirement planning/investing firm. Continue reading Targeted TV Ad Model: Road to More Effective Advertising?

CBS released numbers regarding how many viewers tuned into its Super Bowl XLVII coverage, noting that its live stream drew three million unique viewers — a 43 percent increase from last year’s game. “With so many fans watching the action via the Internet, CBS managed to whip up almost 10 million live video streams, which is more than a 100 percent uptick from the previous year,” reports Engadget. Continue reading Super Bowl: CBS Sets New Records for Live Video Streams

Reed Hastings once led Netflix as an effective distributor of movies and TV shows through the U.S. Postal Service, but always envisioned the company becoming the premier provider of streaming video content. Now the CEO hopes to stay ahead of the competition by positioning Netflix to take on HBO as a provider of premium video content. Hastings’ move is undoubtedly risky, but he sees it as a necessary step towards the future of television. Continue reading Netflix Strives to Revolutionize the TV Viewing Experience

About two-thirds (67 percent) of American adults currently use Facebook according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. The research also indicates that 61 percent of current Facebook users have voluntarily taken a break of at least several weeks from the social network in the past, and 20 percent of the non-Facebook using adult population (or about 5 percent of the total adult population) once used Facebook and now do not. Continue reading Pew Research Breaks Down Usage Statistics for Facebook

Entrepreneur Yoarv Lorch’s newest enterprise hopes to disrupt what he views as an antiquated system of book sales. Total Boox offers book payments by the page, rather than paying for the entire book up front. Lorch argues people often purchase a book on a whim and then realize they do not like it after a few pages. When books had to deal with publishing and distribution costs the advanced payment method made sense, but may not in the world of e-books. Continue reading Total Boox Offers New Pay-As-You-Go E-Book Reading Service

Samsung disclosed details this week regarding its planned Silicon Valley innovation center, which will help build partnerships between entrepreneurs and the company’s nine product divisions to develop new product ideas. The center is also expected to encourage expansion of the company’s mergers and acquisitions strategy by determining which companies and emerging technologies can help fill existing product gaps. Continue reading Samsung to Tap Silicon Valley Innovation in Post-PC Era

Sunday’s Super Bowl broadcast featured a compelling use of crowdsourcing. To promote its halftime show, Pepsi incorporated thousands of photos submitted by customers as part of its video introduction welcoming Beyonce to the stage. The promotion serves as another interesting example of the growing crowdsourcing phenomenon, which continues to generate innovative new business and marketing approaches. Continue reading Pepsi Turns to Crowdsourcing for Super Bowl Halftime Video

The 34-minute Super Bowl power outage caused a Twitter uproar, but while many fans used social media to make jokes, Oreo seized the opportunity to launch a viral marketing campaign. Oreo’s 15-person Super Bowl social media team reacted quickly to the blackout, tweeting an ad that read “Power Out? No problem.” The Tweet was accompanied by the image of a single Oreo in a half-blacked out setting with the caption, “You can still dunk in the dark.” Continue reading Oreo Goes Social for Spontaneous Super Bowl Advertising

Facebook acquired Instagram in part because Instagram’s success on mobile challenged Facebook’s subpar mobile application. The purchase helped improve Facebook’s mobile presence, and now the social network has helped redesign Instagram to serve desktop audiences with the launch of a full newsfeed for browsers. Now Instagram joins Facebook as a complete Web entity. Continue reading Instagram Launches Full Image Feed for Desktop Browsers

The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and equipment supplier Cinedigm plan to help drive-in theaters convert to digital projection. The aid comes as many drive-ins run the risk of extinction since studios plan to stop releasing 35mm film versions of their movies later this year. While most drive-in theaters screen physical film on their outdoor projectors, the move to digital puts the theaters in a difficult position. Continue reading Drive-In Theaters to Receive Help with Digital Transition

YouTube’s “de-spamming” initiative aims to remove unintended views from videos. The initiative has removed millions of views from videos, and large channels like Sony, Universal and RCA have been among the most affected. Together, these channels have lost upwards of 2 billion views since the Google-owned video site began its de-spamming efforts in December 2012. Continue reading YouTube Channels Lose Millions of Views to De-Spamming

Hackers have carried out a sophisticated attack on Twitter, prompting the company to release a statement explaining how its “investigation has thus far indicated that the attackers may have had access to limited user information — usernames, email addresses, session tokens and encrypted/salted versions of passwords — for approximately 250,000 users.” The nature of the attack suggests it could be part of a larger effort. Continue reading Twitter Hacked: 250,000 Users Affected by Recent Attack

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has a book due in April, The New Digital Age, whichexplores the changing technology landscape and how authoritarian governments will seek greater control over Web content in the future. The book criticizes China as “the world’s most active and enthusiastic filterer of information” and mentions China’s state-led efforts to use hacking as a tool against other nations or corporations. Continue reading The New Digital Age: Book Warns of a Dangerous Future China

The Raspberry Pi was initially intended to help schoolchildren tinker with an inexpensive computer ($35 for new models and $25 for older versions). Nearly a million units later, the Raspberry Pi has become a huge success with hobbyists who customize their miniature computers. The Pi is only 3 inches by 2 inches and is less than an inch in height, but its inexpensive nature allows hobbyists to tinker with the device. Continue reading Raspberry Pi: Mini Computer Attracts Hoards of Hobbyists

While Google Glasses have generated a lot of media attention, we don’t know if the technology will achieve a level of social acceptability. Alexis Madrigal of The Atlantic discusses the tech savvy town of San Francisco and what happened when two people walked into a bar wearing the new device. Unlike a phone, Google Glasses are not hidden in your pocket or stored at home — they are on your face, right out in the open. Are people ready for this? Continue reading Opinion: The Pitfalls of Wearing Google Glasses in Public