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Facebook bans, then reinstates, iconic 'napalm girl' photo
Facebook's policy on what constitutes as nudity is in the news again. This time, though, there's a reversal involving a Pulitzer Prize-winning photo from the Vietnam war, The Guardian reports. The Terror of War is a photograph of children running from a napalm attack with armed soldiers behind them, taken by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut. One of the kids, Kim Phúc, is naked. When Norwegian writer Tom Egeland posted it along with six others as a status concerning photos that "changed the history of warfare," the author's account was suspended.
AP now automates news for most minor league baseball games
The Associated Press announced plans to automate financial stories back in 2014, and last year the media outlet started doing the same for college sports. Expanding its partnership with Automated Insights, the AP will now generate coverage for nearly every minor league baseball team. This is an expansion of existing bot-powered sports writing as it will now handle game storylines for 142 teams in 13 leagues. To put it another way, every Triple-A, Double-A and Single-A team is included with only Rookie Leagues left out.
The AP adds 550,000 old newsreel clips to YouTube
The Associated Press has teamed up with British Movietone to share more than a century's worth of newsreel footage with the denizens of the internet. The pair will upload more than a million minutes of archival clips to YouTube with the intention of creating a "view-on-demand visual encyclopedia" for the world. The 550,000-plus stories range from footage of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake through to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It's not the first time that a news organization has used YouTube to take its archives online. Last year, British Pathé uploaded more than 85,000 newsreel clips from between 1896 and 1976 to the site. Users can feel free to embed the clips in whatever story they're working on, but we assume that re-editing the work isn't permitted. Which is a shame, because we were hoping for some cheeky dance remixes of the footage of Prince Charles getting frisky at the Rio Carnival. Which, for no reason at all, we've embedded below...
White House to announce it's buying 50,000 police body cams
According to The Hill, President Obama is reportedly set to announce a nationwide body camera program on Monday. This pilot project will purchase 50,000 body-worn police cameras at a cost of $20 million and distribute them to law enforcement agencies in a dozen cities. Over the following two years, that figure will balloon to $75 million as the program expands to additional agencies and police departments.
The Associated Press is automating college sports news, too
In an effort to bring the masses more sports news, the Associated Press plans to use automated tech for stories it wouldn't normally cover. The AP is working with the NCAA this spring to produce game reports across Division I baseball, Division I women's basketball and both Division II and III football. In the months to come, coverage will extend to Division II and III men's basketball -- probably just in time for next season. While the NCAA will provide the game stats, stories will leverage the tech that the AP already uses to automate thousands of earnings reports each quarter. "This will mean thousands of more stories on the AP wire, which will remain unmatched in the industry," said Barry Bedlan, the AP's deputy director of sports products. "Every college sports town will have some level of coverage." Local news outlets will certainly tap into the new feed, so hopefully small town beat reporters won't have to find a new niche. [Image credit: Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT via Getty Images]
The Associated Press welcomes its robot journalist overlords
Robots are cool and all, but they're just mere toys until they start doing things like reporting the news, right? (Okay, we may be looking at the prospect somewhat selfishly.) Fortunately, that's already starting to take place -- to a degree. In July, the Associated Press will begin using an automated service capable of churning out up to 4,400 business stories. With the help of a company called Automated Insights, these articles will include numerous pieces on quarterly earnings reports, which in theory should free up the humans to do the deeper stuff, such as pieces on why the numbers actually matter and what the executives say during their calls to investors.
Hacked AP Twitter reports White House bombing, causes brief dip in Dow
You might have noticed that the AP's Twitter account was hacked this afternoon and spread a report of a bombing at the White House. That yet another Twitter account was hacked isn't the interesting part, it's the immediate (if brief and shallow) plunge that the financial markets took. We don't really need any further reminders of the power of social media, but it's hard to ignore this particularly stark demonstration of the real-time effects. In this hyper-connected environment a breaking news tweet that was only live for a few minutes and, in retrospect, contained many glaring clues to its falsehood, caused the Dow Jones Industrial Average to drop to 14,567, from 14,697. Now, that only represents a roughly 1-percent drop, and it lasted only about as long as the tweet itself -- the markets quickly bounced back and stabilized. But it is a firm reminder that virtual events can have significant real world consequences.
AP, Google offer $20,000 scholarships to aspiring tech journalists, we go back to school
Love technology? Love journalism? Well, the AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship program might be right up your alley. The initiative, announced earlier this week, will offer $20,000 scholarships to six graduate or undergraduate students working toward a degree in any field that combines journalism, new media and computer science. Geared toward aspiring journalists pursuing projects that "further the ideals of digital journalism," the program also aims to encompass a broad swath of students from diverse ethnic, gender, and geographic backgrounds. Applications for the 2012-2013 school year are now open for students who are currently enrolled as college sophomores or higher, with at least one year of full-time coursework remaining. Hit up the source link below to apply, or head past the break for more information, in the full presser.
iPad apps: news and magazines
Apple's done a pretty good job convincing the old media that the iPad will save their industry, so we've taken our time trying out the launch titles in the App Store -- it's plain to see that different publishers have radically different ideas about how you're supposed to buy and consume their content, and everything from pricing to UI is currently up in the air. But while the apps we've seen so far are definitely intriguing, we haven't seen any silver bullets yet -- and to be perfectly honest, in several cases we wondered why an app was preferable to an iPad-optimized web site, or even (gasp) a paper subscription. Let's run down the launch lineup, shall we? Update: We added in NPR and Zinio by popular request, check 'em out below!
iPad apps: defining experiences from the first wave
There are now over 1,348 approved apps for the iPad. That's on top of the 150,000 iPad-compatible iPhone programs already available in the App Store. When Apple's tablet PC launches, just hours from now, it will have a software library greater than that of any handheld in history -- not counting the occasional UMPC. That said, the vast majority of even those 1,348 iPad apps are not original. They were designed for the iPhone, a device with a comparatively pokey processor and a tiny screen, and most have just been tweaked slightly, upped in price and given an "HD" suffix -- as if that somehow justified the increased cost. Besides, we've seen the amazing potential programs have on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and webOS when given access to a touchscreen, always-on data connection, GPS, cloud storage and WiFi -- but where are the apps that truly define iPad? What will take advantage of its extra headroom, new UI paradigms and multitouch real estate? Caught between netbook and smartphone, what does the iPad do that the iPhone cannot? After spending hours digging through the web and new iPad section of the App Store, we believe we have a number of reasonably compelling answers. Update: Now includes Wormhole Remote, TweetDeck, SkyGrid, Touchgrind HD, GoToMeeting, SplitBrowser, iDisplay, Geometry Wars and Drawing Pad.
Associated Press sources report Associated Press working on iPad app
Business Insider's The Wire is reporting, rather humorously, that AP sources have the scoop that the Associated Press is working on its own iPad app. It will reportedly be a paid subscription news app that generates content from the AP and more than 1,000 member newspapers and broadcasters. The AP follows the New York Times and other news sources that are developing applications for the iPad. While the AP doesn't say if the app would be available for the iPad launch late next month, the hope is that its eventual release will generate sales from the three million people who have downloaded their free iPhone app and would be willing to pay for the apps features on a larger-screen device. To get users interested in the app, it may be free upon initial launch. From the official press release: The group already has drawn up plans to charge for an application designed for the iPad, a 1.5-pound tablet computer that Apple Inc. is scheduled to release at the end of March. The price of the application has yet to be determined, although it might start free, according to Jane Seagrave, a senior vice president who becomes the AP's chief revenue officer Monday. Much like the AP Mobile news product, the iPad app will show custom packages of headlines, stories, photos and video from the AP and from newspapers and broadcasters that choose to contribute their content and share the revenue. AP members also could use the same system to offer their own iPad apps that show their own content. The AP iPad app is just the first product from the AP's new business unit known as "AP Gateway" that will focus on mobile platforms. The AP is among the legion of print-centric news organizations that have seen revenue hit hard by free papers and the internet. A week ago, a Danish paper made the case that devices like the iPad are the newspaper industry's only hope for paid distribution. While many still debate whether the iPad is the savior the publishing industry needs, it's clear that the major publishers are gearing up for an iPad world.
Associated Press launches iPhone-optimized site
Earlier today, the Associated Press launched an iPhone-optimized news site that really is pleasant to use. To check it out on your iPhone simply visit http://apnews.com. Once there you'll find AP articles, of course, but also local events (in fact, you can enter several zip codes and follow events from several locations) and more from many different outlets.The preference pane looks like that of a native iPhone application (Save the orange sliders instead of blue) and the photos and videos render pretty quickly, even over EDGE. Plus, they've got a cute web clip icon. What more do you need?It's nice to see the AP catering to mobile users. We say, "Well done."[Via iPodNN]
Air Force turns 'pain gun' on AP reporter
We're all quite familiar with the Air Force's so-called 'pain gun' by now -- the millimeter wave weapon that gives targets an unbearable, full-body burning sensation and that may or may not have been recommended for testing on Americans by branch secretary Wynn -- but can you ever really 'know' a crowd control device without seeing it in action? Thankfully the military doesn't think so, which is why the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program held what must have been a fun-filled media day this past January, highlighted by the screams and flight response of AP reporter and curiously-willing guinea pig Elliot Minor. In the video after the break, you'll see Minor react to a brief encounter with the pain gun, and although he doesn't cry and wet himself like some might expect our colleagues in the MSM to do, he does admit that the weapon is "quite effective." Apparently there are some more vids of the Air Force's new toy bringing the pain on the linked site, but the military must be spending a lot more money on hurting people than web hosting, because the first clip hadn't even loaded by the time we finished this post.[Via Danger Room]
Wii News Channel is live
Although announced for a Saturday unveiling, Nintendo went ahead and launched the Wii News Channel this morning. The service is free and requires a system update (that you'll likely be prompted to do next time you turn on your console).The service uses a globe for news searching much like the forecast channel, which could be seen as an educational tool for those with geographical deficiencies. According to Gamasutra, the service will be offered in English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German and Swiss-German by the Associated Press, while Japanese-language news will be provided by Japanese news company Goo.There are some bugs with the globe-trotting format, as reader Ralph Kruse discovered. Give the new channel a whirl, let us know what you think and of any other bugs / easter eggs you find.[Thanks to the plethora of tipsters who sent this in!]
Wii News Channel to debut this Saturday
Come this Saturday, Wii owners won't even have to put down their waggle-wand to find out how the Wii has shattered the life of another owner, so long as the Associated Press reports it. In a two-year deal with Nintendo, the Associated Press has agreed to supply the Wii's News Channel with both top stories and photographs from around the world.The news itself will be delivered much like the Weather Channel -- on an interactive map. Should you want the local news in a specific location, you may simply select it on the map. This must be how god in all her infinite wisdom and five thighs views our world.The free News Channel (aside from an internet connection, duh) has but one requirement: the Opera browser. So if you plan on shunning all forms of communication to the outside world other than your Wii, you'd better download it now before they actually start charging for it.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Associated Press' top handheld choice? LocoRoco
The Associated Press is one of the world's leading providers of news and opinion in the world. So, when such a huge mainstream press outlet says something good about the PSP, I take note. AP chose Oblivion as their Overall Game of the Year, and gave LocoRoco the award for Portable Game of the Year. "Sony's PlayStation Portable finally received a great, original game this summer with LocoRoco. Heaps of cuteness, creativity and charm made what could have been another boring platformer into one of the year's most original and irresistible video games." Surely, this comes as a surprise to those that expected a DS game to win. However, it's not all roses in Sony-land. The PLAYSTATION 3 got the dubious award of "Worst Console Launch." [Via Online Athens]
AP election results coming to cellphones via Crisp Wireless
While voting via cellphone is still confined to contests with less geopolitical consequences, it looks like you'll at least be able to get results from the upcoming US mid-term elections from the convenience of your handset with the newly announced AP Mobile Election Results Service. Crisp Wireless is providing the tech with the info coming courtesy of the Associated Press, including state-by-state results for national races and ballot initiatives as well as political news and summaries of national trends. The service is apparently designed specifically for AP customers like newspapers and broadcasters, and is being offered as a "white-label" turn-key service for providers to market as they choose, though it doesn't seem like anything has been announced just yet. Somehow we wonder if it's powered by those totally awesome Diebold machines we've been hearing about.
CNN reports on Mac virus
Several people have emailed us to point out that CNN is featuring an AP story about the 'first Mac virus' on their front page. It looks like CNN is a little late to the party, since the Mac web already reported about this way back in February. Damien wrote that, 'The bottom line is that this really seems to be a proof-of-concept trojan more than an actual "in the wild, self-propagating" virus. So yeah, it's certainly very interesting, but I'm not about to start watching for the sky to fall.'The virus detailed in the CNN story is (though they never call it by name) Oompa-Loompa, as coined by Andrew Welch. You get this trojan (it isn't really a virus) by downloading a file that promises to give you a sneak peek at Leopard. You must then decompress the file, and then click on the resulting decompressed file. At that point an application runs that does a variety of things that Andrew details much better than I can.I wonder what took the AP so long to sensationalize this little 'virus'?
