Weekly Comms News Round Up 12/09/2013

My weekly round up is back after a two week break. With summer holidays behind us, it’s time to catch up on stories you might have missed. Here’s my selection of comms news stories curated via @CisionUK.

PR stunts claim series of Guinness World Records by Jonathan Tilley via PR Week
Red Bull, British Airways and Pimm’s are among the brands to be included in the Guinness World Records 2014 for their PR stunts.

The latest edition of the book, which launches today, hands Red Bull Stratos the world record for most-watched live stream of all time. Last October’s jump from the edge of space by Felix Baumgartner was watched by 8.3 million viewers live on YouTube.

Could iPhone’s fingerprint sensor help kill off passwords?  by Joe Miller via The BBC News
It’s a barely noticeable stainless steel ring, embedded in the new iPhone’s home button. But the fingerprint sensor built into Apple’s latest smartphone, which was unveiled on Tuesday, could signify the beginning of the end for the pesky password.

The Touch ID feature will allow users to access their phones with a press of the finger, without the need to remember complex sequences of letters or numbers. Biometric technology, which uses the body’s unique features as an identification technique, has been around for a while.

Meet and Tweet – The man who met his Twitter followers  via The BBC News
Twitter is often referred to as social media. So what could be more “social” than trying to meet all your followers in person?

Declan Dineen says it was initially just a “stupid idea on a Saturday afternoon” but he decided to give it a go. In January, the 32-year-old, who lives in Glasgow, posted on his blog: “I want to meet all of the human beings who follow me on Twitter. I’ve made a list, I’ve been at it for a week. I’ve met 5. It’s been terrific.”

Is the traditional PR agency model f****d? This PR man thinks so by @dom_justintime via The Drum
Something happened the other day. It was only a little thing, nothing but a digital flicker, but it contained a simple, and unequivocal, message: the PR industry, in its current guise at least, is f****d.

The message came in the form of a tweet from a national business journalist I follow, who is also a pal of mine. He was after some views from an expert for a story he was writing and the moment I saw the tweet I thought: “I have just the client for you”.

Android KitKat unveiled in Google surprise move by Leo Kelion via The BBC News
Google is calling the next version of its mobile operating system Android KitKat.

The news comes as a surprise as the firm had previously indicated version 4.4 of the OS would be Key Lime Pie. The decision to brand the software with the name of Nestle’s chocolate bar is likely to be seen as a marketing coup for the Swiss food and beverage maker.