Mediaboss Marketing

Published by Steve Litchfield at 7:58 UTC, May 8th 2012

Launched last year and, for some unfathomable reason not covered here before, I thought TouchRemote was well worth a mention for anyone looking to control media on their Windows PC from a Symbian smartphone. This latest update works with Winamp, iTunes, VLC Media Player, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, ZoomPlayer and TerraTec HomeCinema - look past the implementation in Java and you'll see what looks to be a fairly comprehensive solution.

From the TouchRemote web site, here are some appropriate screenshots:

From left to right, the TouchRemote main menu on Symbian; the built-in implementation of Remote Desktop; the integral mouse emulation.

From left to right, the remote file manager; WinAmp media control; and iTunes control.

The TouchRemote download page has a trial version that offers most (though not all) of these functions, so you can check whether this is something that's practical for you in the first place.

Comments welcome - is this something that you need or is a solution looking for a problem?

Source / Credit: Nokialino

Go here to see the original:
TouchRemote allows PC media control

By Nicole Gaouette - Wed May 09 22:56:31 GMT 2012

Pedro Ugarte via Getty Images

A North Korean woman checks a computer a at music software company in Pyongyang.

A North Korean woman checks a computer a at music software company in Pyongyang. Photographer: Pedro Ugarte via Getty Images

North Koreans are increasingly able to access global media and other information, loosening the regimes iron grip on their knowledge and potentially bringing far-reaching changes to the so-called hermit kingdom.

Interviews with refugees, travelers and defectors reveal that North Koreans are using illegal Chinese mobile phones, DVDs, computers and small flash drives to work around official barriers to outside information, according to a report being released today. The interviews, conducted over a decade by the Washington-based consulting group InterMedia, show the information environment has undergone significant changes since the 1990s.

North Korea has long sealed itself off from the world, with an official state ideology of juche, or self-reliance, and a narrative that pits a resilient regime against a hostile world. That narrative, and the isolation that has allowed it to flourish, are beginning to crack as new information penetrates the North, InterMedia said.

Positive perceptions of the outside world can call into question many of the North Korean regimes most central propaganda narratives, which legitimate the regime by portraying it as the countrys protector from hostile outside forces, according to the report, which was funded by the U.S. State Department.

The changes in information access are creating a more aware citizenry and a greater space between North Korean citizens and their leaders and between the regimes portrayal of North Korea and the prevailing reality on the ground, according to the report, titled A Quiet Opening: North Koreans in a Changing Media Environment.

The report noted that the changes taking place in North Korea so far are very small and there is little hope for any near-term grassroots pushback against the regime headed by Kim Jong Un, grandson of state founder Kim Il Sung.

Go here to read the rest:
North Korea’s Control of Media Breached by Technology

BEIJING For a government that keeps a tight grip on information, this was a week when it lost control of the narrative.

In the diplomatic standoff over blind activist Chen Guangcheng, technology and growing social-media savvy helped spread, drive and at times even muddy a story rife with unexpected twists.

The round-the-clock use of Twitter and other social media by Chinese activists kept foreign journalists and human rights groups overseas apprised of developments in real time, even as authorities tried to isolate Chen and his supporters.

U.S. diplomats believe they have secured a tentative deal that would allow Chen to leave for the United States. Meanwhile here in China, the role of social media in highlighting his case, and in detailing the harsh treatment meted out to his friends and supporters, seems for many to mark a seminal moment in the Communist governments decades-long history of repressing dissent and stifling information.

The Communist Party controls most major newspapers and virtually all television in China. But the advent of Twitter-like microblogging sites called Weibo in recent years has given urban Internet users an alternative to state-controlled media.

And it is through that social media, as well as cellphones and text messages, that much of the information came through about Chens whereabouts and wishes, and about the fate of those who helped him escape. Many activists also relied notably on Twitter itself, which is blocked in China but can be accessed by exploiting holes in the Great Firewall that censors the Chinese Internet.

When Chen was driven from the U.S. Embassy to a nearby hospital and made a telephone call from the van to The Washington Post, the news broke first on Twitter. It was Chens friend Zeng Jinyan, another activist, who first informed the world via Twitter that Chen had been left alone by U.S. officials at the hospital and was afraid. Zeng also tweeted that thugs in Shandong province, where Chen is from, had threatened to beat his wife to death, and that Chen wanted to leave China for the United States.

And the next day, Zeng broadcast on Twitter that she was being followed by plainclothes police and had been placed under house arrest. She even warned journalists not to try calling her.

A particularly dramatic moment came Thursday when Chen isolated in his Beijing hospital room but with a cellphone at hand called into a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on the handling of his case and expressed concern for his family left behind in Shandong.

Total sea change

See the original post:
With Chen Guangcheng news on Twitter, China’s censors lost control

Quotes delayed, except where indicated otherwise. Delay times are 15 mins for NASDAQ, NYSE and Amex. See also delay times for other exchanges. Quotes and other information supplied by independent providers identified on the Yahoo! Finance partner page. Quotes are updated automatically, but will be turned off after 25 minutes of inactivity. Quotes are delayed at least 15 minutes. All information provided "as is" for informational purposes only, not intended for trading purposes or advice. Neither Yahoo! nor any of independent providers is liable for any informational errors, incompleteness, or delays, or for any actions taken in reliance on information contained herein. By accessing the Yahoo! site, you agree not to redistribute the information found therein.

Fundamental company data provided by Capital IQ. Historical chart data and daily updates provided by Commodity Systems, Inc. (CSI). International historical chart data and daily updates provided by Morningstar, Inc.

Yahoo! - ABC News Network

See the rest here:
FCC dismisses Liberty Media application to control of Sirius XM Radio

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

LITHIUM NETWORK CONFERENCE Lithium Technologies, the leader in Social Customer Experience, today unveiled new research showing that while consumers and marketers both say that interacting through social media has strong benefits, there is still more engagement and interaction required by both groups.

Consumers are increasingly expecting, even demanding, that brands interact with them through social media, said Katy Keim, Lithium CMO. Its not enough to just show up on social channels. Smart brands are taking control of social customer engagement by figuring out how to tackle meaningful activities with their social customersthings like collecting feedback and new product ideas.

Consumers are influenced by social media and they expect a two-way dialog with brands across the social web, but rarely get it. A survey1 of consumer attitudes, conducted by Lithium in April and released during the Lithium Network Conference (LiNC) 2012, about social media reveals:

Marketers need to demonstrate social media marketing ROI to the C-suite, but arent able to. A separate survey2 of marketer attitudes around social media, conducted by Lithium and MarketingProfs in April, reveals:

While social media marketing ROI remains elusive for most, findings indicate marketers who combine two assets well are best able to realize the full potential of social media and demonstrate the most impressive ROI:

Theres a clear disconnect between the value of social media and marketers ability to demonstrate and act on that valuebut it doesnt have to be that way, said Keim. There is no excuse anymore, when you consider the simplicity and sophistication with which marketers can monitor social customer experiences, engage and build communities around the brand, and clearly measure business value using tools like Lithium provides.

While large portions of marketers are not yet truly measuring and understanding the impact of their social media efforts, a significant vanguard (35%) do say that social media marketing helps to meet primary business objectives better than most other channels.

About Lithium Technologies

Lithium helps companies unlock the passion of their customers. Lithium software powers amazing Social Customer Experiences for more than 300 iconic brands including AT&T, BT, Best Buy, Sephora, Skype and Telstra. Lithium helps companies grow brand advocacy, drive sales, reduce costs and accelerate innovation to create a brand nation that redefines the customer experience. For more information, visit http://www.lithium.com, or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and our own brand nation the Lithosphere. Lithium is privately held with corporate headquarters in Emeryville, Calif. and offices in Europe and Asia.

Read more here:
Consumers Expect More Engagement from Brands Through Social Media, Lithium Social Survey Finds