The application requires you to set the ‘unfollow’ option temporarily. But this brings us to the question -

Why should you use Muuter when you could do this manually instead?

Well, here is why-

Doing it manually always comes with the risk of forgetting to follow a contact back again. This application does not forget to do so and takes care of things for you on its own. All you have to do it set the name to mute and define the time frame you want to mute it for. Then you could just forget about it.

How does this work?

When you mute someone with Muuter:

• The app saves your request on the sites database
• The it sends a command to Twitter so you stop following that person
• When your set time passes, Muuter sends another command to Twitter so you start following that person again.

You can come back anytime if you want to unmute your friends to start following them back immediately. Pretty simple!

So, go ahead, manage your contacts automatically and mute all those on Twitter who have become too noisy for your taste for as long as you want – minutes, hours, days.

Link: muuter

-- This Post How To Mute Noisy Twitter Friends For A While is Published on Devils Workshop .

Overcoming this challenge has come into existence TweetNewz. TweetNewz is a news aggregator and desktop ticker with Twitter integration. It keeps readers connected to the news and content they love, all while browsing the web.

This means that while you can post tweets about blogs, articles and events to Twitter, you could also view Twitter social commentary around your favorite Newz.

Stay updated with your favorite news and information, allowing socialization around articles through Twitter, Facebook, Digg, and Delicious, all while browsing the web.

Benefits at-a-glance:

• Conveniently stay connected with Newz while browsing the web
• Tweet about articles with friends and colleagues
• Ability to synchronize with Google Reader
• Add RSS Feeds that are relevant to your interests
• Stay current with all your favorite Newz* and content via one click
• Post favorite stories to Facebook, Delicious, Digg, or Email a friend
• It is FREE!

How is TweetNewz different from other news aggregators?

• Unlike other news and social desktop aggregators, with TweetNewz, you can stay up to date passively.
• It fits into your computer screen, allowing you to choose an appropriate time to view an article.
• If you already have a list of your favorite blogs, news, etc., then you can save time by merely synchronizing your Google Reader account with the TweetNewz application.
• There are also a set of default channels with precompiled feeds, which means you don’t have to waste time digging the web for information.
• You also have the option to choose the colors of your choice for your favorite channels, highlighting stuff that interests you most.

Link: TweetNewz

-- This Post News Aggregation With Twitter Integration is Published on Devils Workshop .

Subject to On2 shareholder approval, the acquisition, which is for $106.5 million, will be completed by the end of this year.

On2′s technology helps in:

1. Shrinking video files
2. Video encoding and publishing
3. Allowing high definition images to be delivered over the internet.

On2 customers include:

• Adobe
• Skype
• Nokia
• Sony
• Infineon
• Sun Microsystems
• Mediatek
• Brightcove
• Move Networks

According to the Google blog post:

“We’re happy to announce today that we’ve signed a deal to acquire On2 Technologies, a leading creator of high-quality video compression technology. The deal is still subject to approval by On2 Technologies’ stockholders and review by relevant regulatory authorities, including the SEC, but we expect it to close in Q4.
Although we’re not in a position to discuss specific product plans until after the deal closes, we are committed to innovation in video quality on the web, and we believe that On2 Technologies’ team and technology will help us further that goal.”

In the meantime, Google says that nothing will change for On2 Technologies’ current and prospective customers.

-- This Post Google Buys On2 to Improve Video Quality on its Search Engine is Published on Devils Workshop .

Global Search Market

On the global front, Microsoft and Yahoo combined took 8.77 % of the global search market in July (8.45% in June). Google still dominates the search market globally with 89.23% in July (89.80% in June).

US Search Market

* In June, the market share figure includes MSN Search and Live Search

Looks like there is no stopping for Bing. It has, since its launch, consistently been showing positive growth. Share your comments on what you think.

-- This Post No Stopping for Bing; Earns Another 1% of Search Market is Published on Devils Workshop .

Highlights

In-Person Social Interactions

Here are the highlights from the report:

• Out of 1,000 of respondents, 87 % of them favored face-to-face interactions over social networking on the Web.
• As compared to men, women prefer face time 70 times more than using social networks.
• Men only prefer face time 33 times more.
• Overall, people prefer face time 44 times more than social networks.

Actual Consumer Behavior

• 65% of respondents, i.e., two-thirds of respondents agree that they don’t see their friends as often as they would like.
• 9 % of respondents agree that they are addicted to social networks. This peaks at 21 % for the age bracket of 18-24 years).
• 11 % of respondents between the age group of 18-24 years spent more than 4 hours per day on social networks.

Additionally…

• Facebook is the most popular social network, except for the under the age of 25 who prefer MySpace.
• Facebook skews female, MySpace skews strongly male.

Says Brightkite CEO Jonathon Linner.

“As use of social networks proliferates, we need to find ways to use them to stimulate more face time, not use them as a substitute for real social interaction.”

Share your comments on what you think about this.

-- This Post Most Prefer Socializing Face-to-Face, Not Through Social Networks or Phones is Published on Devils Workshop .

Highlights

• Google Sites continued to lead as the most visited sites in June with nearly 157 million visitors
• At the second position were Yahoo Sites with 154 million visitors
• At the third spot were Microsoft Sites with 127.4 million visitors.
• Facebook.com moved up two positions to rank at the 6^th spot marking its highest-ever ranking.
• The Mozilla Organization jumped 13 spots to #28 with nearly 27 million visitors, due to the release of Firefox 3.5 which includes numerous new and improved features.
• June also represented Twitter.com’s debut in the ranking of the top 50 properties, coming in at #46 with 20.1 million visitors.

List of Top 50 Online Destinations

(Source: comScore)

-- This Post Top 50 Internet Destinations in the US is Published on Devils Workshop .

• 92% advertisers are typically incorporating Internet advertising into their media campaigns
• 88% advertisers say they are incorporating print advertising.
• 46% advertisers say they typically incorporate radio advertising
• 46% advertisers say they typically incorporate television advertising
• 39% advertisers say they incorporate digital advertising, such as through cell phones.

Type of Media Advertising used

Usage of Media Advertising

Internet advertising

• Just 14% advertisers say they only use Internet advertising as a standalone digital campaign
• 54% advertisers say they use it in an integrated campaign with other media
• 33% advertisers use Internet advertising in both types of campaign equally.

Internet advertising is used in a broad number of ways:

• 79% advertisers, i.e., 4 in 5 advertisers who use Internet advertising use it as a branding device.
• 65% advertisers, i.e., two-thirds use it to drive information gathering for an offline transaction.
• Slightly less than 3 in 5 advertisers, i.e., 58% use Internet advertising to drive online transactions
• 57% say they use it to promote community around their brand, through such things as message boards, memberships and fan clubs.

Consumers find Internet advertising FRUSTRATING!

• 4 in 5 consumers, i.e., 80% say they find ads that expand on the page and cover the content very frustrating
• 79% say ads where they can’t find the close or skip button are very frustrating.
• Three-quarters of consumers, i.e., 76% find Internet ads that automatically pop up very frustrating
• Two-thirds, i.e., 66% say ads that open if they are “moused over” are very frustrating.
• 3 in 5 consumer, i.e., 60% find both animated ads that automatically start playing and ads that play music and/or have loud soundtracks to be very frustrating.

Advertisers clearly have to walk a fine line. At least three in five consumers are very frustrated with six of the main Internet advertising characteristics, and there is the potential to see a backlash forming. Internet advertisers will have to invent more engaging ways to connect with the end users.

Share your comments on what you think about these latest trends.

-- This Post Internet Advertising Catches Up But Frustrates Consumers! is Published on Devils Workshop .

The study clearly points out a lack of awareness among consumers.

Highlights

[The report is based on 800 interviews with computer users in the United States and Canada who said they were not "security experts" and who used email addresses that were not managed by a professional IT department.]

• About two-thirds of the consumers consider themselves “very” or “somewhat” knowledgeable in Internet security.
• Most consumers use anti-virus software
• Over half say they never click on suspected spam
• 21 % take no action to prevent abusive messages from entering their inbox.
• 63 % users would allow their network operator or anti-virus vendor to remotely access their computer to remove detected bots.

Internet and Email Usage

Virus Infections and Anti-Virus Software Usage

Awareness and Perceptions of Spam

Action Against Spam

It is interesting to note that while 82% of consumers are aware of “bots” and malware threats, only 20% believe there is a very good chance their computers could get infected. Even then a majority of junk email today originates from bot-infected computers. The picture seems to e clear after analyzing the report – users are familiar with general email based threats but are not necessarily as alert or cautious as they should be to proactively protect themselves against spam, online fraud and other email-related hazards.

So, how aware, alert and cautious are you? Comment on.

(Source: MAAWG)

-- This Post Email Security – How Aware Are You? is Published on Devils Workshop .

Some 11 years ago, one-quarter of all adults, i.e., 54 million people had gone online to look for health information. Today, the numbers have increased rapidly to some 67% of adults, i.e., 154 million people who had done this. Reports indicate that a large number of users find online health information reliable and many discuss it with their doctors.

Highlights from the report

• 83% of cyberchondriacs said that their search for information online was successful and almost half (45%) say it was “very successful”.
• 87% believe that this information was reliable, and 28% say it was “very reliable”.
• 44% of cyberchondriacs have discussed information they obtained online with their doctors.
• 49% of cyberchondriacs have searched for information online based on discussions they had with their doctors.

Cyberchondriacs Trends: 1998- 2009

[Includes those online from home, office, school, library or other location + Based on July 2008 U.S. Census estimate released January 2009 (230,100,000 total U.S. adults aged 18 or over). NA = Not Asked]

Frequency of accessing health information online: 1998-2009

[Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding *Includes those online from home, office, school, library or other location]

Success in searching for health information online

Reliability of searching for health information online

Have you ever searched for health information online? Are you a cyberchondriac? I know I am!

-- This Post Playing ‘Doctor’ Online? You Are Not Alone! is Published on Devils Workshop .

• Advertisers will be happy to note that brand websites – the most trusted form of advertiser-led advertising – are trusted by 70 % of internet users.
• However, other forms of digital advertising are trusted less than ads appearing in traditional media such as TV billboards, radio, magazines and newspapers.
• The least trusted are text ads on mobile phones (24 %), online banner ads (33 %), online video ads (37 %) and ads in search engine results (41 %).

Says Jonathan Carson, President of Online, International, for the Nielsen Company:

“Despite the huge increase in the size of the world’s Internet population and the sheer amount of time being spent online, the industry has yet to attract advertising revenue consummate with the current levels of online media consumption. The study shows there is still work to be done to shift advertising revenue from traditional forms of media to the Internet. The ability to turn this around rests on overhauling the way display advertising is served online so that it becomes a more effective medium for brand advertisers and a more trusted form of advertising in the mind of the consumer.”

Degree of Trust

Forms of advertising ranked by changes in levels of trust from April 2007 to April 2009

So, which form of advertising do you trust most? Share your comments on your degree of trust.

-- This Post The Most Trusted Forms of Advertising Globally is Published on Devils Workshop .