Friday News: Google to shut down blogs that monetize adult content; iOS7 includes head gestures; and naked rowing men (for charity of course)
Google will remove all Blogger sites that monetize adult content, from June 30 – I’m not sure what this means for book bloggers, but Google will shut down sites that have any advertisements or LINKS to sites hosting adult content. What is adult content? Many blogs have the “adult content” warning.
The content policy doesn’t clearly define what is adult content. Will blogs that feature erotic romance, for example, be affected by Google’s new policy? Or is it just “porn” and if so, what is “porn?”
If your blog is on the Blogger platform, now might be a good time to look into a wordpress.com site. The Next Web
iOS 7 includes new head gestures to control your iPhone – I’m going to turn this feature off immediately because I suspect I’ll be frustrated with it, but the next generation of iOS software will allow you to swipe with your head. That’s right.
Oh wait. Maybe I will use it because in the winter, it is hard to advance a page when wearing gloves and I could nod to the right to go forward. Hmmm.
Anyway, the new technology uses the front facing camera to send commands to the phone. Simply move your head to swipe left or right. VentureBeat

George Henton/Al Jazeera
In Pictures: The Taksim Square Book Club – This is the perfect way to end the week, particularly this week. There is political unrest in Turkey and some of the altercations has been violent. However, Turkish performance artist Erdem Gunduz began to change this by standing in Taksim Square, Instabul, silently for eight hours.
Inspired by Gunduz other Turkish residents have taken to non violent protests in a manner that has been dubbed The Taksim Square Book Club. Take a look. Al Jazeera English
British Rowing Team Strips Down To Fight Homophobia – One more link to visit for the day. I promise this will be good. Can’t you tell by the title? The British Rowing Team has been posing nude for a calendar for four years, inspired by the Full Monty, perhaps, and giving the proceeds to charity. This year, their calendar proceeds are going to a group that combats homophobia and bullying. Buzzfeed
What’s even greater to me is that the rowers are a mix of gay and straight men who have no problem getting naked together because you truly can lead by example.
@damiandunne @JimJamGin we have both gay & straight rowers in our squad x
— UWBC Men’s Calendar (@naked_rowers) June 27, 2013
It has been such an eventful week for depressing news. But today’s last two links and the one from the chief yesterday give me hope.
Those rowers are fine! They’ve probably been inspired by the Dieux du Stade calendar, a magnificently shot calendar that features the French rugby union national side, photographed by top photographers. And that’s why most of Europe flocks to buy it, right?
I liked the “In Chains” one myself.
So is the Dieux du Stade adult content? Are they going to block that?
It seems like head gestures would use a lot of battery power if the camera is always on the alert.
Thumbs up to the naked rowers! Nice afternoon pick-me-up.