Next time you hear the xylophone chirp of the iPhone ringtone on a busy train or bus, watch how many people take out their phone to see if they're the one being called.
We all have the same ringtone, which slightly defeats the point of a ringtone.
But it seems to fit a narrative of dull conformity: all of us pawing slack-jawed, stoop-necked at the same black rectangular slabs.
In a more colourful age, the personalised ringtone ruled. The fact it no longer does tells us about how technology has changed over the last decade, and how we've changed with it.
Back in the late 1990s and mid-2000s, there was of course another ubiquitous ringtone - Nokia's, mocked on Trigger Happy TV. An unfair fate for a classical score originally composed in 1902.
But a million personalised versions also bloomed.
I spent many of my teenage hours on Nokia Composer, a program built into the 3210 and 3310, recreating songs in bleep form using the phone's keypad. (Yes, this was extremely dorky. Here's how the start of Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal went: 8a1 16a1 16a1 16g1 16a1.)
For those less dedicated to ringtone craft, you could download ringtones via text - and it was big business. In 2005, ringtone sales worldwide were worth $4.4bn (£3.5bn), according to Billboard.
Phones packed more features in, going beyond the bleeps into full, glorious polyphony and then, finally, into "realtones" or "truetones".
Madonna even released a song - Hung Up - as a 30-second truetone before she put it out as a single.
The disgusting culmination of all this was of course Crazy Frog, the priapic advertising sensation released upon the public by ringtone maker Jamba.
Ringtones were a way of expressing identity. If you had Crazy Frog, for instance, you were clearly a serial killer. A 2008 study by psychologists at Aalto University in Helsinki, though, found that personalising phones supported the need for "relatedness" - humans' basic desire to connect with and care for each other.
But 2005 was the high watermark for ringtone sales. They dwindled away. PRS, the music licensing society, no longer includes ringtones in its annual financial reports for the industry.
The fault was less Crazy Frog's than Madonna's, though. Hung Up was incorporated into the marketing for the Motorola Rokr phone, a collaboration with Apple. Steve Jobs was so appalled by the device that he went and made the iPhone instead, in 2007.
The iPhone killed the ringtone, even though it made downloading ringtones and songs easier than ever before, for two reasons.
First, we stopped making calls. In 2004, the average person spent 227 minutes making calls on their mobile each month, according to Ofcom. Last year, it was only 182 minutes on the blower. We text and WhatsApp instead.
Second, iPhones gave us plenty of other ways to waste our time - games, music and a whole world of apps. Less time for Nokia Composer.
But what's less important here isn't the opportunity for distraction - ample though that may be - but that apps now let users express their identity much better.
In 2014, researchers from Imperial College investigated how we make our phones 'ours'. They wrote: "Collecting contacts, photographs, videos and other information were all tasks that made a phone unique to one user."
One subject told them: "Look at these two phones," referring to his iPhone 4S and an iPhone 4S owned by one of the authors. "They are identical unless you turn them on."
Apps like Snapchat and Instagram turbocharge that same process.
We all carry the same black rectangles around, with the same ringtone.
But they let us express our identity much better than we could in the heady days of phone personalisation.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
AOL and Yahoo to merge into new firm called Oath
Internet firms Yahoo and AOL are set to be merged into a joint company called Oath, AOL chief executive Tim Armstrong has confirmed on Twitter.
The move comes after AOL parent company Verizon, which is one of America's biggest communications firms, agreed to buy Yahoo's internet business for just under $4.5bn.
Mr Armstrong's tweet, sent from his verified account, read; "Billion+ Consumers, 20+ Brands, Unstoppable Team. #TakeTheOath. Summer 2017."
It also revealed the new company's logo.
But the name has already attracted derision online with many branding it "sinister".
"Oath is the name of the evil tech company in the sci-fi story you wrote in 7th grade," one person tweeted, while another asked "Who is doing their marketing?"
Others have been quick to coin puns based on the name, with one social media user joking: "The best time to check your Oath Mail is while you're eating oatmeal."
Another quipped: "What'll be the metric for Oath's success as a company? Groath."
Verizon's acquisition of Yahoo's operating business is expected to be completed by July, at which point the rest of the company will become a new entity involved in investment called Altaba Inc.
The move comes after AOL parent company Verizon, which is one of America's biggest communications firms, agreed to buy Yahoo's internet business for just under $4.5bn.
Mr Armstrong's tweet, sent from his verified account, read; "Billion+ Consumers, 20+ Brands, Unstoppable Team. #TakeTheOath. Summer 2017."
It also revealed the new company's logo.
But the name has already attracted derision online with many branding it "sinister".
"Oath is the name of the evil tech company in the sci-fi story you wrote in 7th grade," one person tweeted, while another asked "Who is doing their marketing?"
Others have been quick to coin puns based on the name, with one social media user joking: "The best time to check your Oath Mail is while you're eating oatmeal."
Another quipped: "What'll be the metric for Oath's success as a company? Groath."
Verizon's acquisition of Yahoo's operating business is expected to be completed by July, at which point the rest of the company will become a new entity involved in investment called Altaba Inc.
Emergency UN meeting to take place following Syria 'gas attack'
The UK, France and the US have proposed a UN Security Council resolution to condemn a suspected gas attack in Syria which has killed at least 100 people.
It calls on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to quickly reveal its findings on Tuesday's attack in Idlib province, where 400 people were injured.
The draft resolution "condemns in the strongest terms the use of chemical weapons" in Syria, in particular the attack on Khan Sheikhun, and expresses "outrage" over the use of toxic gases in the six-year war.
It also urges UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report monthly on whether the Syrian government is co-operating with an international inquiry into the use of chemical weapons across the war-torn country.
Diplomats say the resolution is likely to be put to a vote when the UN Security Council holds an emergency meeting on Wednesday.
Distressing footage from the town of Khan Sheikhoun showed people choking and fainting in the aftermath of the attack - with some victims left foaming at the mouth.
Rescue workers hosed down children to wash away any chemicals from their skin and gave them oxygen.
Mohammed Hassoun, an activist in nearby Sarmin, said: "Because of the number of wounded, they have been distributed around in rural Idlib.
"They were unconscious, they had seizures and when oxygen was administered, they bled from the nose and mouth."
Other videos showed dead children being covered with blankets, and bodies being loaded into trucks.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the attack was believed to have been carried out by government jets, but the Syrian military has denied responsibility and said it would never use chemical weapons.
Russia's defence ministry has also denied carrying out any airstrikes in the area.
While the attack has been met with international condemnation, the United States' response to the strike has been criticised.
In a statement, President Trump called the assault "reprehensible" - but took the unusual step of saying that Barack Obama's strategy for Syria was partly to blame.
"These heinous actions by the Bashar al Assad regime are a consequence of the past administration's weakness and irresolution," Mr Trump wrote.
It calls on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to quickly reveal its findings on Tuesday's attack in Idlib province, where 400 people were injured.
The draft resolution "condemns in the strongest terms the use of chemical weapons" in Syria, in particular the attack on Khan Sheikhun, and expresses "outrage" over the use of toxic gases in the six-year war.
It also urges UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report monthly on whether the Syrian government is co-operating with an international inquiry into the use of chemical weapons across the war-torn country.
Diplomats say the resolution is likely to be put to a vote when the UN Security Council holds an emergency meeting on Wednesday.
Distressing footage from the town of Khan Sheikhoun showed people choking and fainting in the aftermath of the attack - with some victims left foaming at the mouth.
Rescue workers hosed down children to wash away any chemicals from their skin and gave them oxygen.
Mohammed Hassoun, an activist in nearby Sarmin, said: "Because of the number of wounded, they have been distributed around in rural Idlib.
"They were unconscious, they had seizures and when oxygen was administered, they bled from the nose and mouth."
Other videos showed dead children being covered with blankets, and bodies being loaded into trucks.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the attack was believed to have been carried out by government jets, but the Syrian military has denied responsibility and said it would never use chemical weapons.
Russia's defence ministry has also denied carrying out any airstrikes in the area.
While the attack has been met with international condemnation, the United States' response to the strike has been criticised.
In a statement, President Trump called the assault "reprehensible" - but took the unusual step of saying that Barack Obama's strategy for Syria was partly to blame.
"These heinous actions by the Bashar al Assad regime are a consequence of the past administration's weakness and irresolution," Mr Trump wrote.
A spoonful of Marmite a day keeps brains healthy, study suggests
Eating Marmite every day can help keep your brain healthy, a study suggests.
Love it or hate it, researchers believe the yeast extract helps boost levels of an important neurotransmitter which stops brain cells from becoming overexcited.
In the University of York study, volunteers who ate a teaspoon of Marmite every day for a month showed a 30% decrease in their brain's response to visual patterns compared to those who ate peanut butter instead.
Scientists believe that the Marmite, which is rich in vitamin B12, boosted their levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) - the neurotransmitter which "regulates the delicate balance of activity needed to maintain a healthy brain".
Past studies have concluded that GABA may help to dampen feelings of fear and anxiety, which often arise when neurons are overstimulated.
Abnormal levels of GABA have also been associated with epileptic seizures, opening up the possibility that Marmite could have beneficial effects for people who suffer with certain neurological disorders.
Anika Smith, a PhD student involved in the study, said: "As the effects of Marmite consumption took around eight weeks to wear off after participants stopped the study, this suggests that dietary changes could potentially have long-term effects on brain function."
The research team's next study will involve giving volunteers a course of vitamin B12 tablets, or a placebo, to try and figure out whether this is the ingredient responsible for the increase of GABA in the brain.
Their work has been published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Love it or hate it, researchers believe the yeast extract helps boost levels of an important neurotransmitter which stops brain cells from becoming overexcited.
In the University of York study, volunteers who ate a teaspoon of Marmite every day for a month showed a 30% decrease in their brain's response to visual patterns compared to those who ate peanut butter instead.
Scientists believe that the Marmite, which is rich in vitamin B12, boosted their levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) - the neurotransmitter which "regulates the delicate balance of activity needed to maintain a healthy brain".
Past studies have concluded that GABA may help to dampen feelings of fear and anxiety, which often arise when neurons are overstimulated.
Abnormal levels of GABA have also been associated with epileptic seizures, opening up the possibility that Marmite could have beneficial effects for people who suffer with certain neurological disorders.
Anika Smith, a PhD student involved in the study, said: "As the effects of Marmite consumption took around eight weeks to wear off after participants stopped the study, this suggests that dietary changes could potentially have long-term effects on brain function."
The research team's next study will involve giving volunteers a course of vitamin B12 tablets, or a placebo, to try and figure out whether this is the ingredient responsible for the increase of GABA in the brain.
Their work has been published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
'Our Dishonest President': LA Times Op-Ed Slams Trump
The L.A. Times over the weekend launched a blistering editorial series about President Donald Trump, calling his administration “a train wreck.”
The four-part series is called "The Problem With Trump," and so far has included editorials titled "Our Dishonest President" and "Why Trump Lies."
"He is a man so unpredictable, so reckless, so petulant, so full of blind self-regard, so untethered to reality that it is impossible to know where his presidency will lead or how much damage he will do to our nation," the Times wrote.
On "Fox & Friends" this morning, Bill Bennett, former secretary of education under President Ronald Reagan, said he's seen media bias, but never anything like this.
"This is all about invalidating the Trump presidency," Bennett said. "The L.A. Times, mainstream media, Democrats want to essentially nullify the results of the election."
He said this doesn't change the fact that Trump should focus on his agenda, particularly getting his Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, approved.
"He just has to be sure that he stays on course," Bennett said. "Big week, this week."
Watch more above, and see Eric Bolling weigh in on the anti-Trump media "frenzy."
The four-part series is called "The Problem With Trump," and so far has included editorials titled "Our Dishonest President" and "Why Trump Lies."
"He is a man so unpredictable, so reckless, so petulant, so full of blind self-regard, so untethered to reality that it is impossible to know where his presidency will lead or how much damage he will do to our nation," the Times wrote.
On "Fox & Friends" this morning, Bill Bennett, former secretary of education under President Ronald Reagan, said he's seen media bias, but never anything like this.
"This is all about invalidating the Trump presidency," Bennett said. "The L.A. Times, mainstream media, Democrats want to essentially nullify the results of the election."
He said this doesn't change the fact that Trump should focus on his agenda, particularly getting his Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, approved.
"He just has to be sure that he stays on course," Bennett said. "Big week, this week."
Watch more above, and see Eric Bolling weigh in on the anti-Trump media "frenzy."
Syria 'gas attack' kills dozens in rebel-held Idlib
At least 58 people, including 11 children, died in a suspected gas attack in Syria's Idlib province, according to activists.
People choked or fainted after the attack, while some had foam coming out of their mouths, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights,
The UK-based group opposed to the Syrian government said it had received the reports from medics on the ground in the town of Khan Sheikhoun.
The Syrian Coalition, an opposition group also based outside the country, said planes from President Bashar al Assad's military carried out the airstrikes.
Videos purporting to show the aftermath circulated on social media.
One showed the bodies of several young children being covered with a blanket, while another showed men lifting a body into the back of a truck.
In a number of videos, medics could be seen helping people who appeared to have breathing difficulties.
Rescue workers were pictured hosing down children.
More than 60 people were also reportedly injured in the airstrikes.
The Syrian government did not immediately comment on the allegations, but last week said claims the government was using chemical weapons were "devoid of truth".
The opposition National Coalition called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council, blaming the airstrikes on the "regime of the criminal Bashar".
It urged the UN to "open an immediate investigation and take the necessary measures to ensure the officials, perpetrators and supporters are held accountable".
"Failure to do so will be understood as a message of blessing to the regime for its actions," it added.
Idlib province is almost entirely controlled by the Syrian opposition and is home to 900,000 people displaced by the war.
People choked or fainted after the attack, while some had foam coming out of their mouths, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights,
The UK-based group opposed to the Syrian government said it had received the reports from medics on the ground in the town of Khan Sheikhoun.
The Syrian Coalition, an opposition group also based outside the country, said planes from President Bashar al Assad's military carried out the airstrikes.
Videos purporting to show the aftermath circulated on social media.
One showed the bodies of several young children being covered with a blanket, while another showed men lifting a body into the back of a truck.
In a number of videos, medics could be seen helping people who appeared to have breathing difficulties.
Rescue workers were pictured hosing down children.
More than 60 people were also reportedly injured in the airstrikes.
The Syrian government did not immediately comment on the allegations, but last week said claims the government was using chemical weapons were "devoid of truth".
The opposition National Coalition called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council, blaming the airstrikes on the "regime of the criminal Bashar".
It urged the UN to "open an immediate investigation and take the necessary measures to ensure the officials, perpetrators and supporters are held accountable".
"Failure to do so will be understood as a message of blessing to the regime for its actions," it added.
Idlib province is almost entirely controlled by the Syrian opposition and is home to 900,000 people displaced by the war.
Boys arrested for alleged trespass at Palace of Westminster
Two teenage boys have been bailed after police arrested them for climbing over barriers to the grounds of the Palace of Westminster.
The 15-year-olds were chased by police after they were spotted scaling a low barrier into the car park at the southern end of the Palace.
They then crossed back into the public area when they were seen by nearby officers, the Met said.
The alleged trespass, on Saturday, lasted approximately 30 seconds and the pair did not gain access to any part of the building.
:: Terror attack victim: I'm getting stronger
Both youths were held at a central London police station and bailed on Sunday, pending further inquiries in May.
Scotland Yard said the incident is not being treated as terrorist-related.
Security has been tightened around Westminster since Khalid Masood's murderous assault, which left four dead, including police constable Keith Palmer outside the Palace of Westminster almost two weeks ago.
The other victims killed were American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, and college administrator Aysha Frade, 43.
More than 35 others were injured, including three police officers.
The 15-year-olds were chased by police after they were spotted scaling a low barrier into the car park at the southern end of the Palace.
They then crossed back into the public area when they were seen by nearby officers, the Met said.
The alleged trespass, on Saturday, lasted approximately 30 seconds and the pair did not gain access to any part of the building.
:: Terror attack victim: I'm getting stronger
Both youths were held at a central London police station and bailed on Sunday, pending further inquiries in May.
Scotland Yard said the incident is not being treated as terrorist-related.
Security has been tightened around Westminster since Khalid Masood's murderous assault, which left four dead, including police constable Keith Palmer outside the Palace of Westminster almost two weeks ago.
The other victims killed were American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, and college administrator Aysha Frade, 43.
More than 35 others were injured, including three police officers.
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