TechCrunch
A new anonymous social networking app has launched in Apple's App Store called Cloaq. The app allows users to access social accounts without having to provide an email address or phone number or any other personally identifiable information. The system is designed that way so that even if there is a hack, users won't be exposed. Cloaq users create a password and receive an @id number, beginning with @alpha1.
Direct Marketing News
Skin care Naturopathica launched a welcome series email campaign back in June 2013 in order to acquire new customers and expand its list. Working with Listrak, the marketer developed a series of three emails that would hit consumers as soon as they subscribed to the list. The first message thanked consumers for enrolling in the program and included a discount. The second email goes out three days later telling more about the brand's story. The third email goes out five days after a consumer subscribed with more detail about products, including clinical trial information. The email series generated a more …
Education Week
Google has stopped scanning student Gmail accounts, the company revealed in a blog post on Wednesday. The change comes after the practice has come under the spotlight through a recent lawsuit and Education Week report. The company will no longer scan the accounts of the 30 million students, educators and administrators that use Google Apps for Education through their schools.
The Independent
Irish telecommunications company Eircom has warned its email users to change their passwords, after the company experienced a security breach. The company reported that 350,000 Eircom.net accounts were suspended over the last 18 hours after being exposed to the breach.
Financial Times
After Morgan Stanley executive Adam Parker to clients complaining that traveling is no excuse for not responding to an email, the common bounce back that the recipient has "limited access to email" is not as powerful as it once was. Financial Times contributor Lucy Kellaway agrees with Parker and has written an op-ed arguing that there really isn't much of an excuse for not responding to an email. Short of a death in the family or "legal" troubles, Kellaway argues that recipients should respond to email. If they really are on vacation and don't want to respond to email, then …
Wired
The founders of the online dating service OK Cupid have launched a new email encryption tool called Keybase. The startup hopes to make email encryption easier for average users. Users can create an online directory so that they can instantly locate someone online and then trade encryption tools with that person so that they can speak privately.
PC World
Russian Internet giant My.com entered the US market last week with a new email platform. The email service is available online, as well as through Android and iOS apps. The email includes 150 GB of free email storage and doesn't require a password.
Boing Boing
The ability to check email on smartphones has extended the work week to 75 hours a week for the US workers, according to new research from Harvard professor Leslie Perlow. The study revealed that being so attached to email is hurting productivity at work and the general happiness of employees. When Perlow created a test group of people who did not check email for set period, such as in the evenings after work, she found lower stress levels among them and more enthusiasm among workers when they returned to work the next morning.
Cnet
AOL has confirmed an email breach among about 2 percent of its user base and is encouraging users to change their passwords. The breach exposed private information including users' email addresses, postal addresses, address book contact information, encrypted passwords, as well as the encrypted answers to security questions.
Daily Item
AOL has reported that almost 2 percent of all of its consumer email accounts have been compromised. Many of those accounts have been sending out spoof emails. One such email comes with the subject line "Terrible Grief." The email is sent out to a user's address book and hopes to prey on a user's real life contacts. The email claims that the user was robbed in Istanbul and needs help to buy a new passport and cover hotel costs. These spammy emails contain links for recipients to share their banking details, which are then stolen by scammers.