If Facebook Likes Were Votes, This Is How the 2016 Presidential Race Would Play Out (Ad Week)
FiveThirtyEight has partnered with Facebook to gauge the popularity of the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates—in terms of likes. The project, called The Facebook Primary, compares the number of page likes each candidate has across the U.S., all the way down to the county level.
Apple Music has 11 million subscribers- closing in on Spotify (USA Today)
Apple Music is gaining on rival digital music service Spotify, with 11 million paying subscribers. That’s more than half of Spotify’s 20 million members, who pay $9.99 for monthly access to unlimited digital music. While Spotify has been in operations since 2011 in the United States, Apple Music launched in June, with a free 90-day trial.
AT&T’s Strategy Is One Part Innovation, One Part Inspiration (NY Times)
The company is using plans for super-high-speed 5G technology and an executive’s poignant life story as a way to assuage worries about its future.
The European Union Struggles with Facebook over Privacy (Media Shift)
In the latest development in the negotiations between the US and EU over data transfer rules, Reuters reports France’s data protection authority gave Facebook three months to stop tracking non-users’ Web activity without their consent, and ordered Facebook to cease some transfers of personal data to the US or face fines.
FCC Poised To Flex New Privacy Powers (The Hill)
A fight over privacy at the FCC, sparked by last year’s net neutrality rules, is heating up. The commission is expected to craft regulations in the coming months on how broadband providers handle sensitive customer data — and advocates on both sides of the issue are gearing up to make their case.
Samsung And LG To Phase Out 3D (Broadband TV News)
It can hardly come as a surprise, but both Samsung and LG are now set to phase out 3D. Samsung Electronics is not going to install 3D function into new products, and LG Electronics is going to reduce the number of 3D TVs in half, reports Korean ET News.
How the Rest of Tech Is Playing Catch-Up to Facebook and Google in Artificial Intelligence (Recode)
Facebook and Google are two of Silicon Valley’s leaders in artificial intelligence. They have both invested heavily in AI, hiring loads of top researchers to develop projects like the Facebook Messenger “smart” assistant M, or Google’s in-the-works AI-powered chatbot.
Apple wants court to rule if it can be forced to unlock an iPhone (Network World)
Apple has requested a court in New York to rule finally whether it can be compelled to assist investigators to break the passcode of an iPhone 5s belonging to a defendant in a criminal case. The Department of Justice, citing the All Writs Act, tried to get help from Apple to bypass the security of the phone in government possession.
Why Sharing is the Answer to Rising Demand for Spectrum (NTIA- Commentary)
It is clear that we can’t meet the challenges that arise from increased demand by using the traditional methods of spectrum reallocation, which often take too long and cost too much money. Innovation in spectrum use must be met with innovation in spectrum allocation. The answer is spectrum sharing, a flexible and evolving option.
FCC Denies LPTVs Auction Participation (Broadcasting & Cable)
The FCC won’t reconsider its decision not to allow two Class A-eligible low power TV stations to participate in the incentive auction or protect them in the post-auction repack, denying it on procedural grounds as well as on the merits.
Google Says It’s Not Leaping Into the FCC Spectrum Auction (Recode)
As the government prepares to auction off desirable telecom airwaves, industry incumbents are eyeing one another suspiciously. They can breathe a little easier: Google, once considered a wild-card bidder, will not be in the running.
Internet of Things to be used as spy tool by governments: US intel chief (ARS Technica)
James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence, told lawmakers that governments across the globe are likely to employ the Internet of Things as a spy tool, which will add to global instability already being caused by infectious disease, hunger, climate change, and artificial intelligence.
AT&T Joins Verizon in Race to Meet Demand for Mobile Movies, Sports and More (Ad Age)
AT&T is joining the mobile speed race with Verizon Communications, outlining plans for faster wireless technology to meet the increasing demand for sports, movies and even smartphone access to home appliances. AT&T has chosen Ericsson and Intel as its first two development partners for 5G ultra-fast wireless-network technology.