media

Cyberlink PowerDVD 13 review

Don't let its archaic name fool you; Cyberlink PowerDVD may sound like a name that's rooted in history, but it's actually an innovative media player and library manager that goes beyond just standard disc playback. In fact, PowerDVD 13 aims to distinguish itself from the premium media player crowd with features like "TrueTheater" enhancements, presentable media browsing, and customizable playback tools. To wrap it all up, PowerDVD also aims to rope all your media devices into one connected experience.

The installation process is standard: Cyberlink takes about 360MB of space and leaves a light footprint. … Read more

Police said to use Facebook to stop punk rock house parties

Police going undercover on social media to catch gangsters and murderers is one thing, but posing as punk rockers to catch bands playing illegal house parties?

That's just what Boston police are allegedly doing, according to Slate.

After a nuisance control ordinance (PDF) passed last year, the city has been working to squelch local punk and indie rock parties featuring loud bands. And to find out where these raucous festivities are taking place -- in order to break them up before they get started -- the police are supposedly sleuthing out party addresses via e-mail and social media.

Acting … Read more

Path plots subscription service for 2nd quarter

Path, the social network designed to be more personal than Facebook, will be launching a subscription service in the second quarter of this year.

Path co-founder and Chief Executive Dave Morin told CNET that a premium paid version is the next step for monetizing the young app, but he did not reveal what features users would paying for in a subscription, or how much it would cost.

Launched in 2010, Path is an app that's marketed as a network just for close friends and family members, limiting users to 150 friends. Because of that, it encourages users to share … Read more

Social Media Image Maker edits photos for social networks

Each social-media profile lets you use images to convey your personal (or professional) brand. Unfortunately, not every Web site allows you to use the same size photos. In the end, you'll have some social-media profiles with images that look stretched or squished. Instead of fussing with images to make them look proper, try using the Social Media Image Maker.

The great thing about this site is that it's easy to use, and can make your social media profiles look much more professional (or at least like you know what you're doing to friends and family). You won'… Read more

Portuguese media outlets demand Google pay for links, news leads

With Portugal's economy in an increasingly parlous state and Europe's banking system suffering through yet another crisis, this Reuters headline out of Lisbon ought not to shock anyone: "Portugal media demands Google pays for news.' Specifically, it wants Google to offer financial compensation for using article links and snippets of lead paragraphs in Google News.

By now, this is turning into the never-ending story. European media organizations have long argued that Google ought to share more of its wealth with them for the right to use their material. For instance, Belgian papers sued Google more than $6.… Read more

Nook gets a step closer to in-app purchases

In-app purchasing will finally make its way to the Barnes & Noble Nook tablet.

Nook Media, the recently formed subsidiary of Barnes and Noble, announced the news today, saying that it's partnered with mobile-payment provider Fortumo to bring in-app payments to its line of Nook tablets. Fortumo will provide the tools to developers to integrate in-app purchases. The company's platform also includes real-time data on revenue and analytics.

For the customer, the experience of in-app payments should be similar to what they've found elsewhere. The platform will allow for one-click buying; simply clicking the "Pay" … Read more

Tips from a social media one-night stand

When you write about something called "social media one-night stand, the temptation, so to speak, is to fill it with bad puns and jokes about its name. But this is a post where that's the last double entendre.

Instead, I wanted to bring you social media tips and lessons from my most recent session, which is nothing more than a fancy name for an advanced social-media workshop.

I am just wrapping up a week in the Pacific Northwest. I spent time in digital offices as different as MSN News and Big Fish Games in Seattle, and the Oregonian … Read more

Bing tries to get its social on, again

Bing is drumming up some interest for its Snapshot feature by adding social media shortcuts into search results.

When you search for people in Bing it brings up their Wikipedia entry -- or, if they don't have an entry, their LinkedIn profile -- in a Snapshot box alongside its results. The box will also have shortcut buttons to the person's various social media accounts.

The Snapshot box is powered by Bing's Satori technology, which sounds similar to Google's Knowledge Graph.

In addition to professionals on LinkedIn and famous people, the Snapshot box will also pop up … Read more

Twitter turns seven, releases greatest-hits video

Twitter turns seven today, and to commemorate its birthday, the social networking service has released a video that highlights its many accomplishments, including surpassing 200 million active users.

The service has come a very long way since co-founder (and now patent holder) Jack Dorsey posted the first-ever tweet on March 21, 2006: "Just setting up my twttr."

Of course, it turns out that that tweet was not unique to Dorsey. Many Twitter employees tweeted the very same words that day, evidence of automated language on day one.

just setting up my twttr

— Jack Dorsey (@jack) March 21, 2006 … Read more