[MobileRatty] tag: unfairly

iPhone Developer May Be Bribing Reviewers

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:36:38 +0000

An iPhone developer appears to have paid people to give its application glowing reviews in an effort to boost sales.

The developer of Santa Live, a jokey iPhone app for kids, appears to have posted a listing on Amazon's Mechanical Turk offering to pay $4 for the highest-rated reviews on Apple's iPhone App Store.

"So for this hit, all you have to do is download the application (1.99) and then leave a 5 star review for the app in iTunes or the App Store," said the posting, which has now been taken down, but is preserved here by a screenshot taken by "Techtistic," a reader of The Unofficial Apple Weblog.

It's no surprise to see developers taking aim at the App Store, which has been a gold mine for coders thanks to the enormous population of iPhone users downloading applications. In September, independent developer Steve Demeter announced earning $250,000 in just two months with his iPhone game Trism. Many other programmers are reporting similar success.

Glowing reviews can make or break an app in the App Store -- a fact Apple recently acknowledged when it changed the rules regarding reviews. In the past, anyone could review an app without even downloading it. Apple saw that was unfairly hurting -- or favoring -- some developers, so the company revised the policy, requiring customers to download an app in order to rate it.

In the screenshot, the Mechanical Turk listing offers $4, asking "workers" to download the $2 app and leave it a five-star review, earning $2 in profit. The listing asks participants to identify themselves in the App Store by sticking five periods (.....) somewhere in the review. Currently, out of the 22 reviews for the app, there are seven including five dots.

Casual Game Network developed the app, and its CEO Adam Majewski, whose name is listed as the "Requestor" in the screenshot, neither denied nor confirmed the marketing method.

"I can't speak to the marketing efforts being done," Majewski told Wired.com. "There's numerous being done by people in my organization, and I don't know the day-to-day aspects ... so I can't speak to that specific approach [on Mechanical Turk]."

We're definitely going to keep looking into cases like this. Have you seen any other similar methods online, Gadget Lab readers? If so, please send an e-mail to bchen [at] wired [dot] com.

This just in: Santa Claus has his own iPhone app [TUAW]

Yahoo! Launches Initiative To Protect Free Expression and Privacy for Internet Users

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:31:16 +0000

Global Network Initiative Marks Collective Step By Companies, Human Rights Groups and Others To Challenge Censorship and Threats to Privacy

SUNNYVALE, Calif., (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Joining fellow founding members, Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO) announced the launch of the Global Network Initiative: Protecting and Advancing Freedom of Expression and Privacy in the Information and Communication Technology Industry (GNI).

This landmark initiative will help guide information and communications technology companies in protecting and advancing freedom of expression and privacy across the globe when they encounter laws and policies that interfere with these fundamental human rights.

"Yahoo! was founded on the belief that access to information can enrich people's lives, and the principles we unveil today reflect our determination that our actions match our values around the world," saidJerry Yang, Yahoo!'s CEO and Co-founder. "These principles provide a valuable roadmap for companies like Yahoo! operating in markets where freedom of expression and privacy are unfairly restricted. Through the collective efforts of industry, advocates, and government we will continue to see technology and the Internet as a way to improve people's lives."

Today's announcement represents the result of over two years of work by an international group of information and communications technology companies, human rights organizations, academics, investors and technology leaders. The GNI establishes a core set of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Privacy that will help participating companies protect the use of the Internet as a worldwide vehicle for sharing information, personal expression, innovation and economic development.

Participating companies include Yahoo!, Google, and Microsoft, and human rights groups including Human Rights First, Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, and Human Rights in China. The process was facilitated by the Center for Democracy and Technology and Business for Social Responsibility. The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University was also a key advisor in the process.

Beyond these principles, the GNI establishes a framework for providing communications products and services the world over while ensuring a sustained commitment to protect fundamental human rights. Participating companies and other GNI members have agreed on Implementation Guidelines and a Governance, Accountability and Learning Framework that will ensure that the principles are reflected in their activities and business operations.

"Governments have the ultimate duty to protect their own citizens' rights, and we realize responsible company actions alone cannot guarantee governments will uphold these obligations That is why GNI participants will also engage with governments and advocate for change where policies or practices are inconsistent with the protection of free expression and privacy," said Michael Samway, Yahoo! Vice President and Deputy General Counsel.

GNI members commit to protect freedom of expression and privacy, partner with others to ensure collective governance and accountability, and promote its objectives throughout the world. For more information on the GNI please visit www.globalnetworkinitiative.org. (NOTE: Web site goes live Wednesday, October 29th)

While we have much still to accomplish collectively, Yahoo! believes the GNI and our other business and human rights initiatives are important steps in advancing freedom of expression and privacy around the world. Other key Yahoo! initiatives include:

Business Policies and Practices

We established the Yahoo! Business & Human Rights Program, a dedicated set of business policies and practices to promote access to the Internet while limiting ways in which our technologies can be used to suppress freedom of expression and the right to privacy. Yahoo! has previously instituted its own Human Rights Impact Assessment process, similar to the one now being adopted by the GNI, that examines the human rights landscape in a region and offers strategic approaches to protect the rights of our users through legal and operational structures, among other methods.

Yahoo! Human Rights Fund

Jerry Yang announced in November 2007 the intent to create the Yahoo! Human Rights Fund to provide humanitarian and legal support to political dissidents who have been imprisoned for expressing their views online, as well as support for their families.

High-Level Efforts to Release Dissidents

Yahoo! has been, and will continue, working to secure the release of certain political dissidents through ongoing discussions with high-ranking U.S. and Chinese officials, human rights groups, and the State Department. Our CEO Jerry Yang has been to Capitol Hill and to the State Department to discuss this issue, and earlier this year sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging the Bush Administration to use its diplomatic influence to actively pursue the release of Chinese dissidents imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

Global Values/International Fellowships

Yahoo! has also established international fellowships at Stanford and Georgetown Universities to promote the pursuits of journalists from press-restrictive countries and scholars exploring the link between global values, the Internet, and communication technologies. For more information, please visit our Human Rights and Freedom of Expression web page at http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/press/human-rights-free-expression.cfm. (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet brand and one of the most trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo! is focused on powering its communities of users, advertisers, publishers, and developers by creating indispensable experiences built on trust. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit pressroom.yahoo.com or the Company's blog, Yodel Anecdotal. http://www.ycorpblog.com/

Dragons Den Mobile Dating Agency pitch falls short - the full story?

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:00:34 +0000

The Inquirer has an interesting piece about a chap who pitched a 3G Dating Agency business concept on the popular BBC2 show “Dragons’ Den“. The main thrust of the article is that the viewing audience didn’t get to see what business owner, Romi Pamar, said during his pitch.

(Note: Dragons’ Den is a “business” reality show in which inventors/entrepeneurs/distributors etc try to convince five very wealthy investors, or ‘dragons’, that they should invest in their company. There are sections of the show where ‘highlights’ of people pitching are shown, and not the full spiel - 3G Dating Agency was one of these…)

Pamar points out on his blog that very little of what he said was shown, and that the net result of the Dragons’ declaring “I’m Out” (i.e. they don’t want to invest) was somewhat unfairly edited for TV.

Interestingly, I saw the show myself, and had mixed views on it - the presence of a QR code in the company logo put me off a bit as I haven’t seen a practical widespread use for them to-date, but I do feel for Mr. Pamar, as like he says, we didn’t get to see how good his pitch was - luckily he has a transcript on his blog, so you can make your own minds up.

It looks like Romi has also uploaded the edited TV version of his pitch on to YouTube, which you can find here.

[Via: The Inquirer]

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California judge declares Sprint's early termination fees illegal

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:56:27 +0000

A California judge has passed a preliminary ruling on Sprint Nextel's early termination fees: I don't speak Legalese, but I believe an onomatopoeic kablammo is accepted in most languages. The judge presupposed that the ETFs were unfairly enforcing contracts. Of course, the FCC has complained about the ruling, suggesting instead that it should be a federal issue:

"A consistent, uniform, national framework of standards is the best-case scenario for consumers and for the industry to serve consumers," he said. "If you allow 50 states to regulate and legislate in 50 different ways, you can create a very confusing and obviously inefficient service."

At a public hearing last month, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin sketched out a plan in which cancellation fees would be reduced over the life of the cell phone contract. Three companies - T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon Wireless - already do that, and Sprint said it would begin prorating its fees next year.

The commission also is trying to resolve whether states have any role in regulating early termination fees, which are among the biggest source of complaints among wireless consumers, said spokesman Robert Kenny.

Early termination fees are often explained away as the penalty for getting a subsidized handset from your wireless carrier. Most carriers had planned on implementing prorated ETFs that would get smaller as you approached the end of your contract.

Sprint early termination fees are illegal, judge rules [Mercury News]

Previously • T-Mobile introduces declining early termination fees

Sprint Loses Suit Over Early Cancel Fees

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:18:45 +0000

Sprint became the potential center of a legal precedent today in a ruling in a California court that would have the carrier pay $73 million in refunds. The decision follows a case in which former customers argued that Sprint had unfairly charged some customers early termination fees (ETF) for ending their service before the end of their respective contracts. Sprint is not the only firm facing penalties for discounts and is joined by Verizon, which agreed to settle for $21 million to avoid a definitive ruling, and AT&T. The ETFs became a particular sticking point in the US Congress after the introduction of the original iPhone, customers with no approved means to unlock the Apple device and unhappy with the service not only had to pay a fee but couldn't unlock their phones to use with T-Mobile.

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Homemade total isolation gaming pod, not nerdy at all

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:58:21 +0000

It’s because of awesome things like this that gamers are unfairly slandered as anti-social, solitary, and obsessive. The thing looks to be about 3′x5′x8′ and offers complete isolation from that bothersome outside world (read: the guy’s children). Is it day? Is it night? Who can tell when you’re in your pod? And who cares anyway?

I’d need a little more space than this but to be honest it seems kind of cool. Surround sound, no outside light, plenty of room between your legs for snacks — all it needs is a fridge and a chemical toilet and you’d be set for a couple days.

LCD Magnifier Adds a Faux-Finder to Digicams

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:58:14 +0000

This loupe on a loop is an attempt to answer a question we have never asked, namely "How can I turn my camera's LCD screen into a viewfinder?"

The PRO-MC monitoring with two straps (to unfairly quote its machine translated name) is a $50 widget which sits over any LCD screen up to 3" and magnifies it. The rubber edged box also cuts out extraneous light, which could conceivably help you in very bright sunlight, especially if you don't have an optical viewfinder.

I want to sneer at this as being a totally useless product, an overpriced niche toy, but two things stop me. One, I think that getting the camera up to your eye, by whatever means, will give you better photographs -- more considered and certainly less shaky. And two, I once spent over $200 on a tiny plastic handgrip for my old Leica M6, so thoughts of pots and kettles come to mind.

This will likely remain moot, however, as the magnificent magnifier will likely never make it Stateside.

Product page [UN Ltd via Oh Gizmo! ]

Apple named in touchscreen device patent lawsuit over iPhone's touchscreen

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:46:01 +0000

We've already seen iPhone related lawsuits cropping up from legitimate patent holders as well as frivolous settlement-hunters. And, with the iPhone 3G set to go live on July 11, we're seeing another round of iPhone lawsuits start to surface.

Typhoon Touch Technologies has just named Apple, in their multi-defendant lawsuit, for violating two patents regarding a touchscreen device. The patents in question were issued in 1995 and 1997, and reference technologies like Floppy drives and SCSI drives - neither of which are used today. The patents were issued for a touchscreen device that would allow in-the-field workers to gather information. But, that didn't stop Typhoon from going after touchscreen devices like the Dell Latitude XT tablet PC, HTC Touch, Lenovo's ThinkPad X-series notebooks, Nokia's N810 Internet Tablet and Palm's Treo lineup.

Apple is now being dragged in to the muck with Fujitsu, HTC, Lenovo, LG, Nokia, Panasonic, Palm, Samsung, and Toshiba. This newest group of defendants will join Dell in the fight against Typhoon's lawsuit.

"The addition of these defendants is a further step in protecting Typhoon's IP from being unfairly exploited," said Craig Weiner, Director of Legal Affairs and Licensing for Typhoon. "Hopefully, the world of potential infringers will take notice that it is the company's intent to aggressively protect its intellectual property."

Typhoon is seeking to have an injunction levied against offending devices and financial damages until they can reach a royalty agreement - ideally, Typhoon is seeking a "reasonable" royalty payment from the above-named companies every three months.

If the injunction goes through, Apple could have a serious problem for its about-to-launch iPhone 3G. That is, if it goes through. We'll be keeping a close eye on these happenings, stay tuned.

[Via: MacObserver]

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Uwe Boll gets postal no, really

Mon, 19 May 2008 16:20:40 +0000

Uwe Boll will likely never win any congeniality contest. The highly combative German director has butted heads with anyone who has, to his mind, unfairly criticized his movies—which is everyone. He has even gotten into a boxing match with critics just to prove his point.

Now, the man is all riled up again because of news that his new movie, Postal, is going to open on just four screens in the US. Boll has posted a very scathing message on the official Postal website and bashed everyone—Michael Bay, George W. Bush, the movies that are coming out of Hollywood. Boll claims that the real reason why cinemas all over the US are not supporting his movie is because of its controversial subject.

He says that what he tries to give the audience with Postal is the bigger picture. It is, he claimed, a movie that tries to expose the lies perpetuated by Bush after 9-11, when he started a war against a country that never had any connections with Osama Bin Laden.

The highly entertaining, vitriol filled rant is something that has to be read. In a way, I feel for the guy for getting a lot of flak for what is generally perceived as some of the worst movies ever to be put on celluloid. But his attacks on other people will not likely win him a lot of supporters. I also think that Boll is a bad director but in a way, I have to say that it would be cool to have the complete Uwe Boll filmography in my DVD collection.

Amazon Sues New York to Stop Collecting Sales Tax [Lawsuits]

Thu, 01 May 2008 20:11:38 +0000

Amazon has filed suit against the state of New York in response to the law passed last week that requires the company to collect sales tax on purchases made by New Yorkers. They say the law, which demands any web retailer with affiliates in the state to charge sales tax, is vague and unconstitutional. The company also says they've been unfairly targeted since lawmakers dubbed the bill the "Amazon Tax". I hope they're right and the law gets repealed; I'm not spending 8.375% more of my hard-earned money than I should until this is worked out. [NYT]