1. Innovation at Google: This week the Google I/O conference was held in San Francisco. Not just your everyday conference, last year saw the launch of Five Things sums up the week in social media and innovation. We look at events in Australia and around the world that inspired and intrigued us.

1. Innovation at Google: This week the Google I/O conference was held in San Francisco. Not just your everyday conference, last year saw the launch of Google Glass, said to revolutionise the way we interact with technology. So what was launched this year and what does Google have planned for the future?

-          Voice commands using Google Chrome. A entirely voice-based way to search.

-          Forty-one new features to Google+ including related hashtags.

-          A new Google Hangouts App allowing video, photo and text to be used in the app.

-          Changes to Android location services allowing them to use less battery power.

-          Launch of Google Play Music All Access – a streaming program not dissimilar to Spotify.

-          New look Google Maps has combined Google Earth and Street View. You can now search for restaurants, coffee places and more, using maps. Check out this video for a tour.

2. Ground control to Major Tom: If you don’t know who Commander Chris Hadfield is by now, it’s time for a catch up. The astronaut who manned the International Space Station for half a year has become famous due to his tweets and videos from space. On May 12, he released this rendition of David Bowie’s Space Oddity, showing amazing images from his trip in space.

The video has gone viral, collecting nearly 12 million hits in less than one week. Commander Hadfield and his fellow astronauts made the safe journey back to Earth on May 14.

3. The paywall goes mainstream: This week News Limited moved to a metered paywall for its popular titles, The Herald Sun and The Daily Telegraph. The digital subscription service is called News Plus and gives a certain amount of free news articles a week before requesting a subscription. The initial payment asked by News Limited is just $1.00 a month  for the trial period, and then a series of packages from $4.o0 a week thereafter.

For the first time News is integrating its newspaper and Foxtel offering with subscribers able to access integrated content from Fox Sports. News Limited took over Fox Sports in November last year.

Other News Limited titles, Adelaide Now and The Courier Mail will move to the News Plus model in June.

4. Is Gatsby all that great? This week a lot of talk has been centred around the premiere of Buz Luhrmann’s new film, The Great Gatsby. The film made its debut at the 66^th Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday night.

The lavish film has seen mixed reviews to say the least. The New York Times called it a “splashy, trashy opera”. The Daily Mail said Luhrmann is “tone-deaf when dealing with nuanced human emotions or tragedy”, while The Guardian calls the film “bombastic and excessive”.

Despite the critic feedback, the film had a huge opening weekend in the US, taking $52 million at the box office. Luhrmann has hit out at critics arguing his other movies rarely had great reviews, but were very popular with audiences. “Look, I made Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet – and Strictly Ballroom for that matter – and they never got those high critics’ scores. I just care because people are going out and seeing it. I really am so moved by that,” said Luhrmann.

5. The precious afternoon nap, five days a week: We have a feeling George Costanza from Seinfeld would have liked this idea. The binder pillow can help you get a few moments of shut-eye at your desk if you’ve had a substantial night out the night before.

The pillow is priced at a reasonable $26. You may need to rebrand the label if you are looking to be discreet with your afternoon nap.

1. Eye-tracking investigation: Rumours were rife earlier this year that Samsung’s highly anticipated new phone, the Galaxy S4, would include eye-tracking technology. It has been announced that the phone [...]]]> Five Things sums up the week in social media and innovation. We look at events in Australia and around the world that inspired and intrigued us.

1. Eye-tracking investigation: Rumours were rife earlier this year that Samsung’s highly anticipated new phone, the Galaxy S4, would include eye-tracking technology. It has been announced that the phone will instead use “Smart Scroll”, relying on facial recognition to stop a video or game if the user is not focussed on the phone.

Even though Samsung has confirmed they will not use eye-tracking technology, this has not stopped the American Civil Liberties Union investigating the technology and the privacy implications that come with it. If our eye movements are recorded when reading a webpage, is future advertising then suited to what captures our eye? Will we be served online ads based on what we looked at rather than what we clicked? What does that mean for our privacy and protection of our online identity?

Here is one of the most well-known, futuristic scenes concerning eye-tracking technology:

2. The Bachelor comes to Australia. Network Ten has commissioned production company Shine Australia to produce an Australian version of The Bachelor. Does it seem like The Bachelor has been around for a while? It has. The show is now in its 17^th season in the US. This will be the first time audiences are introduced to an Australian bachelor though, joining him on a quest to find love.

Mumbrella pointed out this week that Australia has mixed feelings on dating shows. While The Farmer Wants a Wife has been solid for Channel Nine, other shows such as Come Date with Me and Taken Out, have not been as successful. The network hopes the international appeal of The Bachelor will interest audiences.

The show will debut later this year.

3. The cricket on Channel Ten? Fairfax announced this week that Cricket Australia has filed a writ in the Supreme Court against Channel Nine.  The issue has arisen after a dispute between Cricket Australia and Channel Nine over whether domestic one-day matches (Ryobi Cup and Sheffield Shield) would be broadcast.

Cricket Australia, which supposedly derives 80 per cent of its income from television rights, has been in talks with Channel Ten the last few months. If the switch to Channel Ten was made, many have asked whether iconic cricket commentators would also make the move. Much would depend on their contracts with Channel Nine.

Nine has been broadcasting the cricket since 1977. Cricket Australia will reportedly make a decision in July.

Photo credit: AP

4. According to reports from Mashable this week, the flying car is only about eight years away. Terrafugia, a Massachusetts company, is working on a flying car, the TF-X. The carbon-fibre car takes off vertically using electric-powered rotor blades, allowing you to land in your driveway.

The company says learning to fly the TF-X is relatively easy due to the auto-pilot functionality. A spokesperson from the company states it should take the average driver no more than five hours to learn to drive the TF-X.

The final price of the model is yet to be determined, with speculation it could cost up to $260,000 to own your own.

Here is an artist impression of how the vehicle could take off in a stationary position.

5. An Asian food supplier in Sweden is using Instagram to bring Asian food into the home. Users take a picture of an Asian dish, use the company’s Instagram handle, @AskCTFood, and professionals at the company will send back a list of ingredients and a recipe.

The strategy has been devised to encourage making Asian food at home and no doubt to visit CTFood stores. Check out the cool Vimeo video that the company launched to promote the service:

We’ve released an infographic showing just how Australians feel about unsolicited communications. The results are from a recent ACMA survey about telemarketing, spam and malware—and we’ll be releasing more of this research in the coming months. [...]]]> Do you hate getting an unsolicited telemarketing call just when you’re sitting down to dinner? Well, you’re not alone!

We’ve released an infographic showing just how Australians feel about unsolicited communications. The results are from a recent ACMA survey about telemarketing, spam and malware—and we’ll be releasing more of this research in the coming months. One of the questions we asked participants was to what extent they find these types of communications problematic.

As you can see, the Do Not Call Register is a great way to reduce the number of unsolicited calls you receive. Managed by the ACMA, the register is free and is the place to list your home, personal mobile or fax number. Once your numbers are listed on the register, telemarketers and fax marketers must not call you unless they have consent or fall into a group allowed to make designated telemarketing calls. This group includes charities, research companies, political parties and educational institutions. 

In 2011, the ACMA surveyed Australians who had listed their number on the Do Not Call Register 45 to 60 days after they joined. Of those surveyed, 88 per cent reported receiving fewer unsolicited telemarketing calls on their home phone.

1. The world’s first 3D printed bionic organ – Back in February, Gizmodo reported scientists at Heriot-Watt University had produced human embryonic stems cells using 3D printing.

Creating [...]]]> Five Things sums up the week in social media and innovation. We look at events in Australia and around the world that inspired and intrigued us.

1. The world’s first 3D printed bionic organ – Back in February, Gizmodo reported scientists at Heriot-Watt University had produced human embryonic stems cells using 3D printing.

Creating biological structures using 3D printers is now a task taken on by scientists across the world.

Recently, a US biotechnology company, Organovo, produced a tiny liver using 3D printing, which functioned for just over five days. Not only was the survival of the liver nearly twice the life expectancy of 2D versions, but the results may be able to provide superior predictive data in the fight against liver disease. Keith Murphy, CEO of Organovo, argues at  an experimental biology conference in Boston, that 2D models are not representative of a real human liver, while the 3D versions shows the complex cell functions and cell networks.

How does the Organovo Bioprinting process work? Check out their video:

2. iTunes celebrates its 10^th Birthday – It’s been a decade since the Apple iTunes store was launched in the US. Since then it has sold more than 35 million songs in over 110 countries. But what impacts has the iTunes store had on the music industry? According to the Recording Industry Association of America music sales have fallen from $11.5 billion in 2003 to $6.9 billion last year. Is iTunes partly to blame for the decrease in revenue, or is this simply the popularity of digital music and downloads more generally?

In Australia, some have continued to push for cheaper music through the iTunes store, wondering why Australians can pay up to $2.19 for a song when people in the US can pay only 99c. 

3. Australia’s best blog announced. The blogging space is a hotly contest space made up of budding and professional writers looking for your internet time. This week the Australian Writers Centre announced the Best Australian Blogger, giving the award to Sneh Roy for her cooking blog, Cook Republic.

Roy combines her love for simple recipes and delicious food, with art, giving a Pinterest feel to her blog.

The winner of the People’s Choice award was Chris Lang, who composes the blog, Home I Own, which collects tips and tricks on successfully buying your new home.

See the list of winners in each category in mUmBRELLA.

4. Advertising on BOM. The federal government’s most viewed website, the Bureau of Meteorology, is now allowing paid advertising on its web pages. The ads are clearly visible on the home page, but have an obvious “Why Advertising?” link directly underneath the ad. The government announced the move in the 2012-13 budget that ads would be trialled for one year.

As this is the first government website to allow paid advertising to be hosted on its page, there are mixed views about the concept. Advertising guru Harold Mitchell says the ads, which would potentially raise $2 million a year for BOM, are a great way to fund a public service in a difficult economic climate.

Others are speculating whether BOM will be the first of many government websites to start advertising, including perhaps, the ABC.

5. It’s time to have your say. The ACMA is hosting a Citizen conversation series to help inform its Contemporary community safeguards inquiry. Registrations were announced this week, with a line up of events discussing broadcasting issues such as decency, accuracy, fairness, advertising and classification.

A range of guests including industry experts, academics and practitioners will be speaking at the events. The ACMA is looking for the public’s opinion on these matters and greatly encourages you to book a seat and be part of the conversation.

To find out more and to fill out the registration form visit here.

To help inform this inquiry, the ACMA is hosting a series of citizen conversations.

The themes for the public forums are classification, decency, accuracy, fairness, advertising and privacy. There is also a workshop for [...]]]> The ACMA’s Contemporary community safeguards inquiry is examining the core principles that should guide the content of broadcasting codes of practice.

To help inform this inquiry, the ACMA is hosting a series of citizen conversations.

The themes for the public forums are classification, decency, accuracy, fairness, advertising and privacy. There is also a workshop for broadcasters on the handling of complaints under the codes of practice.

Each forum will feature contributions from subject matter experts, academics, practitioners and other industry stakeholders.

All the forums will be held at the ACMA’s Sydney office in Pyrmont. The public forums will also be streamed live on the web.

The forums are free of charge but registration is essential. Only a limited number of places are available so register now.

Thursday 6 June 2013
Classification and the time-shifting audience
8.30 am – 1.00 pm*
Decency
12.30 pm – 5.00 pm^†

Wednesday 12 June 2013
Complaints-handling workshop (industry-only event)
8.30 am – 1.30 pm*

Tuesday 18 June 2013
Getting the facts right: accuracy
8.30 am – 1.00 pm*
Fairness, balance and significant viewpoints
12.30 pm – 5.00 pm^†

Tuesday 25 June 2013
Advertising and the changing world
8.30 am – 1.00 pm*
Privacy
12.30 pm – 5.00 pm^†

* scheduled times include registration and lunch

^† scheduled times include registration and drinks

For further information, including how to register or take part in the forums online, visit acma.gov.au, or follow us on Twitter @acmadotgov or at facebook.com/acmadotgov.

You will receive an email notifying you of the outcome of your registration within [...]]]> Please fill out the form below to register for the ACMA’s Citizen conversations series, which will inform the Contemporary community safeguards inquiry. As space is limited, the information will be used for the purpose of monitoring attendance numbers to each session.

You will receive an email notifying you of the outcome of your registration within five working days.

 The ACMA’s auction preparations have been conducted in a public and transparent way. The auction rules and arrangements, which have been the subject of extensive public consultation, [...]]]> There has been some media commentary about confidentiality conditions attaching to the Digital Dividend auction (“DDA”) currently being undertaken by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (‘The ACMA’).

 The ACMA’s auction preparations have been conducted in a public and transparent way. The auction rules and arrangements, which have been the subject of extensive public consultation, are all available on the ACMA’s website (www.engage.acma.gov.au/digitaldividend).

As part of these arrangements, the ACMA has set confidentiality rules for the auction, which take effect when prospective bidders apply to participate. Confidentiality rules are customary for all spectrum auctions internationally, and are essential for running a robust process. The rules set by the ACMA’s predecessor organisations for past spectrum auctions have generally also required participants to maintain the confidentiality of auction information.

The confidentiality arrangements are in place to protect the integrity of the auction process by prohibiting communications that could influence the bids that are placed during the auction.

The rules are intended to guard against anti-competitive and collusive behaviour in the auction, and strategic bidding. The rules complement the prohibition on cartel conduct contained the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

The bidders participating in the auction do not know who has registered as a bidder, or what bids their competitors are placing. This is to protect against possible collusive bidding behaviour. This means that during the auction: a) bidders are prevented from disclosing information about their bids or proposed bids, bidding strategy or lot valuations; and b) the ACMA is not making that information public.

Once the auction has concluded and there is no longer potential for collusion by bidders, the confidentiality obligations will come to an end. The ACMA will then release information about the bidders, what they have won and what they will pay for the spectrum.  

More detailed information about the operation of the confidentiality arrangements for the DDA is available under heading 3.2.7 in the Auction guide. The confidentiality rules themselves are set out in Part 3 of the Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Allocation – Combinatorial Clock Auction) Determination 2012.

All events will be held at our [...]]]> The ACMA is conducting the Contemporary community safeguards inquiry into the core principles that should guide the content of contemporary broadcasting codes of practice. To help inform this inquiry, we’re hosting a series of Citizen conversations and we’d welcome your perspective on some or all of these topics.

All events will be held at our Sydney office in Pyrmont. More details will be available shortly so keep these dates in your diary.

Thursday 6 June 2013—Classification and decency

Sessions:
Classification: 8.30am – 1.00pm
Decency: 12.30pm – 5.00pm

Tuesday 18 June 2013—Facts and fairness

Sessions:
Accuracy: 8.30am – 1.00pm
Fairness and balance: 12.30pm – 5.00pm

Tuesday 25 June 2013—Advertising and privacy

Sessions:
Advertising: 8.30am – 1.00pm
Privacy: 12.30pm – 5.00pm

Email us at conversations@acma.gov.au to receive updates and an invitation to attend.

Read more about why we’re undertaking this inquiry and what it will cover.

However, most viewing was still on the best (and biggest) television screen available, with [...]]]> A short report on audience behaviour

Australians are very much a part of a significant and ongoing global change in how people follow major events like the Olympics, with greater multi-screen viewing—for convenience, and to connect with others on social media.

However, most viewing was still on the best (and biggest) television screen available, with research finding Australians watched an average of 3h:11m of televised content each day of the Olympics.

In the US and UK, research showed a large proportion of the population followed London 2012 using a combination of television, PCs, mobiles, tablets and social media.

Australians did not stream as much content as US or UK viewers, but they did watch the Games on television in larger-than-ever numbers. Australians also followed the Games on PCs, tablets and mobiles, as well as engaging on social media.

Research suggests, however, people watched coverage on different devices at different times—leading to the idea of three ‘prime times’—early evening for television, after 10.30 pm for mobiles and tablets and the morning commute and lunchtime for a combination of mobiles, PCs and laptops. Each day of the Olympics Australians viewed an additional 3h:27m of Games content beyond the television screen.

Read more …