Traffic up slightly at Ontario airport in March Press-Enterprise The number of passengers using Ontario International Airport rose slightly in March with 403855 travelers using the airport that month, a 1.3 percent increase compared to the same month a year prior. Traffic in the first three months of the year is up ... LA Airports Step Up Noise Monitoring |
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Traffic up slightly at Ontario airport in March - Press-Enterprise
hyhekim.wordpress.com
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Economy won
wanuso.wordpress.com
That’s according to AAA New Mexico, whic h conducted the forecast with IHSGlobal Insight. The study projectsd that nearly 2.6 million people will trave in the MountainRegion states, including New which represents a slight increase of 1.2 perceng over last year. Nearlu 2.1 million will drive, 250,000 will fly and 250,000 will take a bus or train. The Mountaij Region is the only regiojn inthe U.S. expected to show a travel increase. It includes Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. The numbee of Americans nationwide traveling over the holidahy weekend will decreaseby 1.9 percent from with about 37.1 million taking a trip of 50 or mile away from home.
That projectefd decline nationwide is mainly due to the uncertainty abouft the economy as well as the recent rise ingasolin prices, according to AAA. The Mountain Regioh economy is better than other parts of the with a lower than average unemployment rateof 7.6 compared to the national average of 9.3 Average travel spending nationwide per household will be about Mountain Region citizens will most likely spen $1,226 per family. Most of the Mountain Regiojn travelers will drive more than 700 miles during the while the rest of the country will log between 250 and 700 on average.
AAA and IHS Global insight have developed a forecasting model that considerss currenteconomic conditions, past July 4th holidayy travel trends and and the recent assessment of pre-holiday American travelo intentions from a survey of 2,700 American households. The actual travel figure s come from the ongoing travel panel databaseof , which interviews 50,000 American households per mont h to track trip incidence, composition, behavior and spending.
That’s according to AAA New Mexico, whic h conducted the forecast with IHSGlobal Insight. The study projectsd that nearly 2.6 million people will trave in the MountainRegion states, including New which represents a slight increase of 1.2 perceng over last year. Nearlu 2.1 million will drive, 250,000 will fly and 250,000 will take a bus or train. The Mountaij Region is the only regiojn inthe U.S. expected to show a travel increase. It includes Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. The numbee of Americans nationwide traveling over the holidahy weekend will decreaseby 1.9 percent from with about 37.1 million taking a trip of 50 or mile away from home.
That projectefd decline nationwide is mainly due to the uncertainty abouft the economy as well as the recent rise ingasolin prices, according to AAA. The Mountain Regioh economy is better than other parts of the with a lower than average unemployment rateof 7.6 compared to the national average of 9.3 Average travel spending nationwide per household will be about Mountain Region citizens will most likely spen $1,226 per family. Most of the Mountain Regiojn travelers will drive more than 700 miles during the while the rest of the country will log between 250 and 700 on average.
AAA and IHS Global insight have developed a forecasting model that considerss currenteconomic conditions, past July 4th holidayy travel trends and and the recent assessment of pre-holiday American travelo intentions from a survey of 2,700 American households. The actual travel figure s come from the ongoing travel panel databaseof , which interviews 50,000 American households per mont h to track trip incidence, composition, behavior and spending.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Roy Barnes will run for governor in 2010 - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
epukaq.wordpress.com
Barnes was defeated by Republican andcurrentf Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2002 in an becoming the first Georgia governor to bedenier re-election. Barnes faced opposition from teachers’ groups upseft about his education reforms, rural voters angered by his championingh of a new state flagthat de-emphasized the Confederats battle standard and voters stirred up by his support for the now-defuncyt Northern Arc highway project, which was to connecft Interstate 75 in Cartersville with Interstate 85 in Lawrenceville. Flankex by his wife, Marie, and several children and Barnes told reporters his top priorities will be waterand transportation.
Referring to cuts to education made yearlyu since heleft office, he said, “We need to improv education and support, not starve “We need a transportation system that workas instead of arguing over who’s goinf to run the highway department and who’s going to have more he added, a reference to the Perdue-backee Department of Transportation overhaukl that passed the General Assembly this year. Barnesa said he won’t officially start campaigninfguntil July, because he is chairman of two national educationm organizations, and terms for both positiones are up in July.
Barnes will battle three otherzs for theDemocratic nod: Georgias Attorney General Thurbert former state Adjutant Gen. David Poythresse and current Georgia House Minorityh Leader DuBose Porterof Dublin. On the Republicanh side, those who have announced plans to run forgovernort include: Georgia Secretary of State Karen Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, U.S. Rep. Nathahn Deal of Gainesville, State Rep. Austin Scott of Tiftom and State Sen. Eric Johnson of Savannah. Poythressa said Barnes’ return to politics can only hurt the chances to win backthe governor’s office because of the political baggage he carries.
“Royt Barnes is a polarizing figure in Georgia Poythress said. “His campaignh will reopen the old wounds.” Ben Fry, Johnson’xs campaign manager, said Barnes’ entry in the race makees it even more important for Republicanzs to nominate a gubernatorial candidate with a proven track recorf that will appeal to votersa acrossthe state. “Eric was instrumentap in giving Georgians a choice between principled conservative policie s and the heavy handed mandates of the Barnes Fry said.
“He has gone toe to toe with the Barnesd machine in the past and is confidentg that voters will make the same decisionj they did in 2002 when they trustesd Eric and his colleagues togovern Georgia.” But Barness said Georgia faces too many problems for either voters or candidates to let themselves be distracted by the past. “u want to talk transportationand education, not name-calling,” he “I’m going to talk about specific things to solvs the problems we have everh day.
”
Barnes was defeated by Republican andcurrentf Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2002 in an becoming the first Georgia governor to bedenier re-election. Barnes faced opposition from teachers’ groups upseft about his education reforms, rural voters angered by his championingh of a new state flagthat de-emphasized the Confederats battle standard and voters stirred up by his support for the now-defuncyt Northern Arc highway project, which was to connecft Interstate 75 in Cartersville with Interstate 85 in Lawrenceville. Flankex by his wife, Marie, and several children and Barnes told reporters his top priorities will be waterand transportation.
Referring to cuts to education made yearlyu since heleft office, he said, “We need to improv education and support, not starve “We need a transportation system that workas instead of arguing over who’s goinf to run the highway department and who’s going to have more he added, a reference to the Perdue-backee Department of Transportation overhaukl that passed the General Assembly this year. Barnesa said he won’t officially start campaigninfguntil July, because he is chairman of two national educationm organizations, and terms for both positiones are up in July.
Barnes will battle three otherzs for theDemocratic nod: Georgias Attorney General Thurbert former state Adjutant Gen. David Poythresse and current Georgia House Minorityh Leader DuBose Porterof Dublin. On the Republicanh side, those who have announced plans to run forgovernort include: Georgia Secretary of State Karen Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, U.S. Rep. Nathahn Deal of Gainesville, State Rep. Austin Scott of Tiftom and State Sen. Eric Johnson of Savannah. Poythressa said Barnes’ return to politics can only hurt the chances to win backthe governor’s office because of the political baggage he carries.
“Royt Barnes is a polarizing figure in Georgia Poythress said. “His campaignh will reopen the old wounds.” Ben Fry, Johnson’xs campaign manager, said Barnes’ entry in the race makees it even more important for Republicanzs to nominate a gubernatorial candidate with a proven track recorf that will appeal to votersa acrossthe state. “Eric was instrumentap in giving Georgians a choice between principled conservative policie s and the heavy handed mandates of the Barnes Fry said.
“He has gone toe to toe with the Barnesd machine in the past and is confidentg that voters will make the same decisionj they did in 2002 when they trustesd Eric and his colleagues togovern Georgia.” But Barness said Georgia faces too many problems for either voters or candidates to let themselves be distracted by the past. “u want to talk transportationand education, not name-calling,” he “I’m going to talk about specific things to solvs the problems we have everh day.
”
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Online video-tagging outfit lands $8.25M VC round - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
mytyhona.wordpress.com
Tom Wilde said the addition ofGeneral Electric/NBCd Universal as investor earlier this month came about through a relationship formed as the startu p began to implement its software for digitapl video content into NBC’s business units like CNBC, NBC Digital Networks and NBC Global “We started talking to several NBC business unita back last summer,” Wildse said in an interview. “That had led to severa discussionswith Peacock” Equity the venture capital fund of GE/NBC Universal. The Peacock Equity Fund was the only new investofin EveryZing’s third round.
Previous investors include Cambridge-based firma Fairhaven Capital and General Catalyst Partnerz along withPalo Alto, Calif.-based Accel EveryZing has raised a totalp of $22 million since it was founded in Wilde said. The startup, which was once named was spun out ofBBN Technologies, a researchh and development company that provides servicde primarily to the government. The startup initially plannef to focus on podcasting search applications but changed its strategyh to focuson video. It changed its name to EveryZingin 2007. The companyg develops software that transcribes and tagsonline videos.
The resulrt is that users can search throug videos that use the softwardeby keywords, making it easier to find videk tied to their interests. The abilityu to search and navigate video content shouldr drivegreater consumption, which in turn should create a stronger appetite amony advertisers, Wilde said. “We’re not only driving more we’re driving more targeted ad consumption,” he likening it to the way (Nasdaq: GOOG) revolutionized text-base advertising online by selling through software that pinpointexdspecific interests. But the difference with text-basefd ads are they can be bough t simplyand cheaply.
Online vide advertising inventory, much like on broadcast and cable is still mainly sold in the traditionao negotiated ways and throughmediza buyers. Wilde agreed. But he said the industrg still has to figure outwhere it’s The question of whether it will be used more for directf response ads or for larger brandint concepts remains open. Online video advertising has beengrowiny rapidly, but will show some slowdown due to the recession. Researcjh firm Magna forecast earlier this year the online videl ad market willreach $699 milliojn in 2009. It originally predicted it woulcdreach $805 million.
Tom Byrne, managinfg director of the PeacockEquity Fund, said EveryZing will benefigt from the validation provided by getting support from GE/NBfC Universal. “What we like to do is help ... de-riskl (investments) as companies,” he Wilde said EveryZing would use the funding to grow its sale s andmarketing presence. It plans to add a couple jobs over thenext Currently, it has about 30 employees.
Tom Wilde said the addition ofGeneral Electric/NBCd Universal as investor earlier this month came about through a relationship formed as the startu p began to implement its software for digitapl video content into NBC’s business units like CNBC, NBC Digital Networks and NBC Global “We started talking to several NBC business unita back last summer,” Wildse said in an interview. “That had led to severa discussionswith Peacock” Equity the venture capital fund of GE/NBC Universal. The Peacock Equity Fund was the only new investofin EveryZing’s third round.
Previous investors include Cambridge-based firma Fairhaven Capital and General Catalyst Partnerz along withPalo Alto, Calif.-based Accel EveryZing has raised a totalp of $22 million since it was founded in Wilde said. The startup, which was once named was spun out ofBBN Technologies, a researchh and development company that provides servicde primarily to the government. The startup initially plannef to focus on podcasting search applications but changed its strategyh to focuson video. It changed its name to EveryZingin 2007. The companyg develops software that transcribes and tagsonline videos.
The resulrt is that users can search throug videos that use the softwardeby keywords, making it easier to find videk tied to their interests. The abilityu to search and navigate video content shouldr drivegreater consumption, which in turn should create a stronger appetite amony advertisers, Wilde said. “We’re not only driving more we’re driving more targeted ad consumption,” he likening it to the way (Nasdaq: GOOG) revolutionized text-base advertising online by selling through software that pinpointexdspecific interests. But the difference with text-basefd ads are they can be bough t simplyand cheaply.
Online vide advertising inventory, much like on broadcast and cable is still mainly sold in the traditionao negotiated ways and throughmediza buyers. Wilde agreed. But he said the industrg still has to figure outwhere it’s The question of whether it will be used more for directf response ads or for larger brandint concepts remains open. Online video advertising has beengrowiny rapidly, but will show some slowdown due to the recession. Researcjh firm Magna forecast earlier this year the online videl ad market willreach $699 milliojn in 2009. It originally predicted it woulcdreach $805 million.
Tom Byrne, managinfg director of the PeacockEquity Fund, said EveryZing will benefigt from the validation provided by getting support from GE/NBfC Universal. “What we like to do is help ... de-riskl (investments) as companies,” he Wilde said EveryZing would use the funding to grow its sale s andmarketing presence. It plans to add a couple jobs over thenext Currently, it has about 30 employees.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Photojournalist killed in Libya; others seriously wounded - Monsters and Critics.com
vavyzina.wordpress.com
Fox News | Photojournalist killed in Libya; others seriously wounded Monsters and Critics.com At least two other photographers were seriously wounded. Hetherington died in the city of Misurata, which has been under siege for weeks by Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi's forces, after he came under attack by a rocket propelled grenade, Panos Pictures, ... Chris Hondros in Misrata |
Monday, April 18, 2011
Maryland raising tax to cover higher cost of unemployment - Baltimore Business Journal:
artemchuksykitas.blogspot.com
The annual tax will increase from the minimuk rateof 0.3 percent on the first $8,500 earned by an employee to a minimum of 0.6 said Thomas E. Perez, secretary of the Marylanxd Departmentof Labor, Licensing and Regulation. That meands most companies willpay $51 per instead of the existing $25.50. The departmenty is just beginning to notify employers that the tax will takeeffecy Jan. 1, he said. “I certainly appreciatee the difficulty that this presents forall businesses,” Perez said in an interviews with the .
“Nobody wants to pay more If we ignore theseissuess now, it’s the proverbial ‘pay me now or pay me ” The tax increase on each workintg employee — not just those who are laid off comes as a surprised to businesses that are strugglinh to turn a profit amid the financial crisis that has grippedr the nation. And while the amount may sound nominal, any kind of hike coulc really sting, executives said, particularly after the Marylanc legislaturepassed $1.4 billion worth of annual tax increase last year. “Unfortunately, it’s just anotherr cost that businesses have to absorb duringf theseuncertain times,” said Donalx C.
Fry, CEO of the , an organizatiom that represents the interests of companies throughout the The increase, Fry said, couled cause businesses to tighten their belts even especially with the country’s next presidential administratio n and economic policies Richard Clinch, a economist, said the unemployment insurance tax increasse especially will affect businesses with narroqw profit margins. The tax on each workefr fuels the Maryland Unemploymenr InsuranceTrust Fund, which pays unemployment benefite to people who are out of For the week ending Oct. 11, the state doled out roughly $12 millionn in unemployment insurance benefits, up from $7.2 millioj during the same time last yearand $6.
6 millioh in 2006. State unemployment insurancw provides temporary partial wage replacement benefits to thosde who have beenlaid off, are willing and able to work and lookinh for jobs. Weekly benefit s range from $25 to a maximum of $380 and are typicallt capped at26 weeks. however, enacted a 13-week extension of unemployment insurance benefits in With closeto 138,000 Marylanders, or 4.6 percen t of the state’s population, the trust fund is being depleted at a fasterd clip — triggering the tax hike. A stipulationm in state law requires the Departmentof Labor, Licensinv and Regulation to review the unemployment insurance trustf fund each Sept. 30.
Should the balance in the fund dip belowscertain levels, then a tax hike is As of Sept. 30, the balance in the fund stooedat $895.3 million, $40 million undef the threshold to keep taxese at their existing level, Perez said. It is he said, to keep the balance in the fund robust to prevenf the insolvency that other statesare California, Michigan, New York and Ohio are among the statess whose unemployment insurance funds could go broked this year or next. About three years ago, lawmakers and businesspeople came together to revamlp unemployment insurance to ensure the future of thetrustg fund, Fry said.
It’w important to remember, he said, that business was involved in discussione that resulted in the law triggering thetax increase. Sen. Thomasx M. Middleton, a Charles County Democrat who chairs theFinance Committee, spearheadede this effort. He could not be reachedc for comment.
The annual tax will increase from the minimuk rateof 0.3 percent on the first $8,500 earned by an employee to a minimum of 0.6 said Thomas E. Perez, secretary of the Marylanxd Departmentof Labor, Licensing and Regulation. That meands most companies willpay $51 per instead of the existing $25.50. The departmenty is just beginning to notify employers that the tax will takeeffecy Jan. 1, he said. “I certainly appreciatee the difficulty that this presents forall businesses,” Perez said in an interviews with the .
“Nobody wants to pay more If we ignore theseissuess now, it’s the proverbial ‘pay me now or pay me ” The tax increase on each workintg employee — not just those who are laid off comes as a surprised to businesses that are strugglinh to turn a profit amid the financial crisis that has grippedr the nation. And while the amount may sound nominal, any kind of hike coulc really sting, executives said, particularly after the Marylanc legislaturepassed $1.4 billion worth of annual tax increase last year. “Unfortunately, it’s just anotherr cost that businesses have to absorb duringf theseuncertain times,” said Donalx C.
Fry, CEO of the , an organizatiom that represents the interests of companies throughout the The increase, Fry said, couled cause businesses to tighten their belts even especially with the country’s next presidential administratio n and economic policies Richard Clinch, a economist, said the unemployment insurance tax increasse especially will affect businesses with narroqw profit margins. The tax on each workefr fuels the Maryland Unemploymenr InsuranceTrust Fund, which pays unemployment benefite to people who are out of For the week ending Oct. 11, the state doled out roughly $12 millionn in unemployment insurance benefits, up from $7.2 millioj during the same time last yearand $6.
6 millioh in 2006. State unemployment insurancw provides temporary partial wage replacement benefits to thosde who have beenlaid off, are willing and able to work and lookinh for jobs. Weekly benefit s range from $25 to a maximum of $380 and are typicallt capped at26 weeks. however, enacted a 13-week extension of unemployment insurance benefits in With closeto 138,000 Marylanders, or 4.6 percen t of the state’s population, the trust fund is being depleted at a fasterd clip — triggering the tax hike. A stipulationm in state law requires the Departmentof Labor, Licensinv and Regulation to review the unemployment insurance trustf fund each Sept. 30.
Should the balance in the fund dip belowscertain levels, then a tax hike is As of Sept. 30, the balance in the fund stooedat $895.3 million, $40 million undef the threshold to keep taxese at their existing level, Perez said. It is he said, to keep the balance in the fund robust to prevenf the insolvency that other statesare California, Michigan, New York and Ohio are among the statess whose unemployment insurance funds could go broked this year or next. About three years ago, lawmakers and businesspeople came together to revamlp unemployment insurance to ensure the future of thetrustg fund, Fry said.
It’w important to remember, he said, that business was involved in discussione that resulted in the law triggering thetax increase. Sen. Thomasx M. Middleton, a Charles County Democrat who chairs theFinance Committee, spearheadede this effort. He could not be reachedc for comment.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Many employers lack health emergency policy - Business First of Louisville:
zvonkovaleoqim.blogspot.com
Mercer’s survey attempts to provide an understanding of how organizationsx are reacting to the spread ofthe H1N1, or “swine flu”, viruxs and what plans and proceduree are being implemented. More than half of the employer surveyed were considering whether tocreate back-up and contingenct plans in response to the outbreak, the survey Others said they planned to restrict or cancel business travel or allow employees to work at home.
“Witn the continued increase of reportesd casesof (H1N1), it is importanf for employers to develop a plan for dealing with the myriaed HR issues that can arise in the even of a pandemic or otherr health care emergency,” Danielle a consultant in Mercer’s HR effectiveness consultingy business said in a statement. “In organizations with a global work force and decentralizedx HR units need to have a coherentg procedure in place for employee care in the event of ahealtgh emergency.
” Mercer’s survey, whicb includes more than 400 mid-size and largee organizations worldwide, was conducted from Apri 30 to May 11 and includes responses from employers locatedx in the US, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Hong Brazil, Vietnam, Switzerland, China, Argentina, Soutnh Korea, Singapore, the Russian Federation, the Philippines and
Mercer’s survey attempts to provide an understanding of how organizationsx are reacting to the spread ofthe H1N1, or “swine flu”, viruxs and what plans and proceduree are being implemented. More than half of the employer surveyed were considering whether tocreate back-up and contingenct plans in response to the outbreak, the survey Others said they planned to restrict or cancel business travel or allow employees to work at home.
“Witn the continued increase of reportesd casesof (H1N1), it is importanf for employers to develop a plan for dealing with the myriaed HR issues that can arise in the even of a pandemic or otherr health care emergency,” Danielle a consultant in Mercer’s HR effectiveness consultingy business said in a statement. “In organizations with a global work force and decentralizedx HR units need to have a coherentg procedure in place for employee care in the event of ahealtgh emergency.
” Mercer’s survey, whicb includes more than 400 mid-size and largee organizations worldwide, was conducted from Apri 30 to May 11 and includes responses from employers locatedx in the US, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Hong Brazil, Vietnam, Switzerland, China, Argentina, Soutnh Korea, Singapore, the Russian Federation, the Philippines and
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Google first-quarter report to kick off era under new CEO - Reuters
http://vinyl-sidings.webs.com/
Google first-quarter report to kick off era under new CEO Reuters Google co-founder Larry Page is seen at the Sun Valley Inn in Sun Valley, Idaho in this July 8, 2010 file photograph. Google Inc Chief Executive Eric Schmidt will hand over the reins to Page, the company said on January 20, 2011. ... |
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Privacy study shows Google
http://www.movabletype.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=24&id=446417
Using trackers called “web bugs,” third partie s collect user data from many popular web and sites oftenallow this, even thougg their privacy policies say they don’t share user data with others. “Web bugs from Google and its subsidiariew were found on 92 of the top 100 Web sites and 88 percent of theapproximatelt 400,000 unique domains examineed in the study,” the authors found. Sites with the most web bugs were forblogginy — blogspot and typepad were No. 1 and No. 2 on the list in and blogger was No. 4. Google itself was No. 3. Ashkan Travis Pinnick and Joshua Gomezz ofthe university’s information school wrote the published Monday.
They analyzed privacy policies posted on web sitex and found loopholes used by many site operators to alloqw third parties to stil l collect data on whoviews pages. They also for example, that although web sites may reassur e visitorsthat “we don’t share data with third those third parties don’t include a company’s affiliatesd — Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), for has 137 subsidiary businesses. “The law on affiliats sharing generally is more than that on sharing user data with third party companies, the report said.
Companies controlling the top 50 busiestf web sites had an average of 297affiliates each, meaningv they could share user data with a lot of othe r companies. Popular site , for example, is owned by New York’s (NASDAQ: NWS), which has more than 1,50p0 subsidiaries. (NYSE: BAC) in Charlotte has more than 2,30o0 subsidiaries. “Users do not know and canno t learn the full range of affiliates with whicgh websites mayshare information,” the reporty said.
Though many Internetg users are familiarwith “cookies” used to study theie surfing habits, they are less familiare with so-called “web bugs,” whicu can’t be cleared out of a web since they are part of a web site’s HTML Since the web bugs are created directly by thirs parties, their use doesn’t strictly count as “sharing” of data by the web site’ owner, though users concerned about privacy may be unimpressed by this “We believe that this practice contravenes users’ it makes little sense to disclaim formall information sharing, but allow functionallyu equivalent tracking with third parties,” the report said.
Who's in charg e of privacy? Although surveys of Internet userzs show peopleare “very concerned about privacy and do not want websitese to collect and share their personal informatiom without permission,” sifting through privacy policies is not practical. It woulde take 200 hours a year for a typica person to read the privacy policies of all the web sites they visit, for example. Thus “users have no practicalk way of knowing with whom their data willbe shared.” On the policyu front, the report finds “no one knowsa who is in charge of protecting privacy” in the Unites States.
People can complain to the Federal Trade Commission andother agencies, but even the FTC’se “principles for behavioral tracking make no mentionj of any enforcement or accountability.” A low number of complaintes to various agencies means consumers don’rt really know where to the report said. The FTC looks at online privacyt more in termsof “harms” done to consumers, the report rather than also in termz of control over personal which is what most users care The report makes several suggestions for improvement, including more aggressive actionj by the FTC to protectg online privacy.
It also callse for clearer privacy policies on web written so that average userse canunderstand them. ’s (NASDAQ: ADBE) privacy policy, for when analyzed for readability, was written at an equivaleny grade levelof 17.29. The average privacy policyt in the study was written at a grade leveof 13.83. The full study can be found .
Using trackers called “web bugs,” third partie s collect user data from many popular web and sites oftenallow this, even thougg their privacy policies say they don’t share user data with others. “Web bugs from Google and its subsidiariew were found on 92 of the top 100 Web sites and 88 percent of theapproximatelt 400,000 unique domains examineed in the study,” the authors found. Sites with the most web bugs were forblogginy — blogspot and typepad were No. 1 and No. 2 on the list in and blogger was No. 4. Google itself was No. 3. Ashkan Travis Pinnick and Joshua Gomezz ofthe university’s information school wrote the published Monday.
They analyzed privacy policies posted on web sitex and found loopholes used by many site operators to alloqw third parties to stil l collect data on whoviews pages. They also for example, that although web sites may reassur e visitorsthat “we don’t share data with third those third parties don’t include a company’s affiliatesd — Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), for has 137 subsidiary businesses. “The law on affiliats sharing generally is more than that on sharing user data with third party companies, the report said.
Companies controlling the top 50 busiestf web sites had an average of 297affiliates each, meaningv they could share user data with a lot of othe r companies. Popular site , for example, is owned by New York’s (NASDAQ: NWS), which has more than 1,50p0 subsidiaries. (NYSE: BAC) in Charlotte has more than 2,30o0 subsidiaries. “Users do not know and canno t learn the full range of affiliates with whicgh websites mayshare information,” the reporty said.
Though many Internetg users are familiarwith “cookies” used to study theie surfing habits, they are less familiare with so-called “web bugs,” whicu can’t be cleared out of a web since they are part of a web site’s HTML Since the web bugs are created directly by thirs parties, their use doesn’t strictly count as “sharing” of data by the web site’ owner, though users concerned about privacy may be unimpressed by this “We believe that this practice contravenes users’ it makes little sense to disclaim formall information sharing, but allow functionallyu equivalent tracking with third parties,” the report said.
Who's in charg e of privacy? Although surveys of Internet userzs show peopleare “very concerned about privacy and do not want websitese to collect and share their personal informatiom without permission,” sifting through privacy policies is not practical. It woulde take 200 hours a year for a typica person to read the privacy policies of all the web sites they visit, for example. Thus “users have no practicalk way of knowing with whom their data willbe shared.” On the policyu front, the report finds “no one knowsa who is in charge of protecting privacy” in the Unites States.
People can complain to the Federal Trade Commission andother agencies, but even the FTC’se “principles for behavioral tracking make no mentionj of any enforcement or accountability.” A low number of complaintes to various agencies means consumers don’rt really know where to the report said. The FTC looks at online privacyt more in termsof “harms” done to consumers, the report rather than also in termz of control over personal which is what most users care The report makes several suggestions for improvement, including more aggressive actionj by the FTC to protectg online privacy.
It also callse for clearer privacy policies on web written so that average userse canunderstand them. ’s (NASDAQ: ADBE) privacy policy, for when analyzed for readability, was written at an equivaleny grade levelof 17.29. The average privacy policyt in the study was written at a grade leveof 13.83. The full study can be found .
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Legislature narrows definition of service animals - The Seattle Times
chauezhelolocu1622.blogspot.com
Legislature narrows definition of service animals The Seattle Times AP The restaurant industry lobbied for the bill saying that it's necessary to keep customers in establishments where food is sold from trying to pass off ferrets, parrots, monkeys, full-size horses, or snakes as service animals. ... |
Friday, April 8, 2011
AG, Verizon reach agreement over ringtones - Orlando Business Journal:
http://www.altal4adv.com/user_detail.php?u=reolotottat
Verizon Wireless has also agreed to adopt a series of best practicezs standards designed to protect consumersfrom third-partty charges. The charges include “free” ringtones and other cell phone contenft customerseither didn’t order or didn’t realizes would result in a monthly charge. “Consumersd deserve to get their money back when a companu misrepresents something as freethat isn’t,” said McCollum in a written release.
“I commend Verizon Wirelesw for changing the business modekl to better protect consumers The cell phone content in questionincluded ringtones, music, wallpaper, horoscopes and other material often promoted by online marketers as but ends up costing up to $19.9 a month. The charges appear on monthlu wireless bills and areusuallt recurring. A large number of complaints relatecd to the mobile content industry led tothe state’sx investigation which showed that thousands of Floridaw consumers had received these charges on theif cell phone bills for mobile content downloads they neitherf knowingly authorized nor Verizon Wireless is the second wireless providet to set up these standards and offer consumefr refunds.
AT&T Mobility reached an agreement inFebruarh 2008.
Verizon Wireless has also agreed to adopt a series of best practicezs standards designed to protect consumersfrom third-partty charges. The charges include “free” ringtones and other cell phone contenft customerseither didn’t order or didn’t realizes would result in a monthly charge. “Consumersd deserve to get their money back when a companu misrepresents something as freethat isn’t,” said McCollum in a written release.
“I commend Verizon Wirelesw for changing the business modekl to better protect consumers The cell phone content in questionincluded ringtones, music, wallpaper, horoscopes and other material often promoted by online marketers as but ends up costing up to $19.9 a month. The charges appear on monthlu wireless bills and areusuallt recurring. A large number of complaints relatecd to the mobile content industry led tothe state’sx investigation which showed that thousands of Floridaw consumers had received these charges on theif cell phone bills for mobile content downloads they neitherf knowingly authorized nor Verizon Wireless is the second wireless providet to set up these standards and offer consumefr refunds.
AT&T Mobility reached an agreement inFebruarh 2008.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Study: Job-loss rate slows in tech sector - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
http://www.officesdepot.ca/user_detail.php?u=dyclelaypoche
Planned layoffs in the computer, electronics and telecokm industries during the recentlt ended quarter fell to compared to morethan 84,200 in the firsrt quarter of the year, The job cuts in the past thre e months were roughly equivalent to the second quarter of 2008, when 33,6443 positions were eliminated. Still, the combined cuts during the firs six months of theyear – 118,108 – represented the worst six-month total for the technologyg sector in seven years. And it was more than twicw the number of jobs lost betweenJanuary 1, 2008, and June 30, when 50,989 cuts were announced.
The bulk of the seconfd quarter cuts occurred in thecomputer industry, with 19,881 layoffs planned, compared to 12,134 layoffs planned in electronics and 1,87 layoffs planned in telecom. “Telecom and electronics firmzs appear to be benefiting froma recession-defying wireless market. Between the companies trying to outdo the iPhones and those helping more and more Americans disconnect theirr land linesfor cellular-onlu phone communications, there are a lot of growtg opportunities,” said John Challenger, the company’s CEO.
“Computer firms may lag a littlre as companies wait for more proodf of recovery before they begin to reignitr investments innew technologies, but the end of the recessionh should bring a flood of new spendingv in this area. Some firms may even beginj to invest early, in the hopes that productivity-enhancingf technology can temper the need to recruiftnew workers.”
Planned layoffs in the computer, electronics and telecokm industries during the recentlt ended quarter fell to compared to morethan 84,200 in the firsrt quarter of the year, The job cuts in the past thre e months were roughly equivalent to the second quarter of 2008, when 33,6443 positions were eliminated. Still, the combined cuts during the firs six months of theyear – 118,108 – represented the worst six-month total for the technologyg sector in seven years. And it was more than twicw the number of jobs lost betweenJanuary 1, 2008, and June 30, when 50,989 cuts were announced.
The bulk of the seconfd quarter cuts occurred in thecomputer industry, with 19,881 layoffs planned, compared to 12,134 layoffs planned in electronics and 1,87 layoffs planned in telecom. “Telecom and electronics firmzs appear to be benefiting froma recession-defying wireless market. Between the companies trying to outdo the iPhones and those helping more and more Americans disconnect theirr land linesfor cellular-onlu phone communications, there are a lot of growtg opportunities,” said John Challenger, the company’s CEO.
“Computer firms may lag a littlre as companies wait for more proodf of recovery before they begin to reignitr investments innew technologies, but the end of the recessionh should bring a flood of new spendingv in this area. Some firms may even beginj to invest early, in the hopes that productivity-enhancingf technology can temper the need to recruiftnew workers.”
Monday, April 4, 2011
A whole new game: Downturn impacts Bucks, Packers - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
http://www.annuaire-grenoble.info/user_detail.php?u=insignanene
The economic downturn also has dramatically affectedprofessional sports, an industry that many thoughr was immune to the ups and downxs of the economy. “This is the toughes time I’ve ever seen,” said Bucks’ vice president of businessd operations. “There is not any level of business or categoryy of spending that is immunew to what is going onrighf now.” Wisconsin’s three professional sports teama are entering new territory, trying to sell ticketsx when businesses are laying off workerx and many consumers are worried about payingf their bills or finding jobs.
“Sports are not recessionj proof,” said Marty Greenberg, a Milwaukee sports “Normally sports are competing forentertainment dollars. Now sports are competinf against milk and Ofthe state’s three major sportsx teams — the Bucks, and — only the Brewers so far have avoidedx the downturn’s effect. Coming off the team’s first playoftf appearance in 26 years in the team has reached 1 million tickets sold fasterr than at any time inits history, recentlyy signed a major presenting sponsor and saw retail salees jump more than 30 percent.
“We were somewhat concerned about what the impacft would be fromthe economy, but makint the playoffs last season had really given us a lot of said Rick Schlesinger, Brewers’ executive vice president of businessa operations. “But we know that we have to run our businesxsvery smart, given the economy and how volatilre things have become.” The Buckd and the Packers have not been so The Packers shelved a stadium expansionb project, have seen a decline in Pro Shop sales and have delayedf a decision on a potential ticket pric increase for the 2009 season.
The Bucks have watchee attendance fall, have worked with customersd on payment plans for season tickets and developed new ticket partnershipss to get people to show up for gamee atthe . “From talking to no one has seen anything like this in the last 50 saidMark Murphy, Packers president. “We’ve been impacted by the economt and had to change our business as a In the lastseveral months, several professional teams in all three majo r sports have laid off including the Washington Redskins, Indianapolis Colts, Charlotter Bobcats and Arizona Diamondbacks. The office cut 150 employeex in December. So far the three Wisconsin teamx have been able toavoic layoffs.
“We’ve always been lean, so luckilyh we have not had to makepainfuo decisions,” Steinmiller said. “We are watching very closely what is goinf on in the economy and watching our We are trying to do more with Murphy said team officials noticed a dropoffd in Packers Pro Shop sales during November and Decembedr as the team struggled toa 6-10 He said traffic has remained steady, but customers are buying fewer items. “Ift has forced us to be a little more aggressivd in our pricing and saleethis year,” he The Packers had been raising ticke prices every other year, with the upcoming seasonm slated for an increase.
But Murphy said team officialsz want to take time to decide if this year is therighgt time, given current economicc conditions. “We are sensitive to what fans aregoinvg through,” he said. “We are lookingt at if it makes sense to wait a The team’s goal is to rank in the middler of the NFL teams when it comes to pricing. Currently, the Packer rank 21st in the 30 teame inthe NFL. Few teams, such as the Houstobn Texans, have increased ticket prices, he said. Most are holding steady, with even a few, includingy the Detroit Lions, decreasing prices. The team also shelvee a plan this fall to expand with a new walkway and an undergrouned parking areafor players.
“Igt just wasn’t the right time to move ahead, givenm what was going on in the Murphy said. Jon Greenberg, executive editor of Team Marketing a sports marketing firmin Ill., said given the size of the market, the smallest in the NFL, the team has to be smarrt in how it approaches its business. “They have less margin for error given the community they are he said. “They’ve had great luck over the years because of the loyaltyh tothe team. But this economic downturn is uncharted territorgy for allsports executives.
”
The economic downturn also has dramatically affectedprofessional sports, an industry that many thoughr was immune to the ups and downxs of the economy. “This is the toughes time I’ve ever seen,” said Bucks’ vice president of businessd operations. “There is not any level of business or categoryy of spending that is immunew to what is going onrighf now.” Wisconsin’s three professional sports teama are entering new territory, trying to sell ticketsx when businesses are laying off workerx and many consumers are worried about payingf their bills or finding jobs.
“Sports are not recessionj proof,” said Marty Greenberg, a Milwaukee sports “Normally sports are competing forentertainment dollars. Now sports are competinf against milk and Ofthe state’s three major sportsx teams — the Bucks, and — only the Brewers so far have avoidedx the downturn’s effect. Coming off the team’s first playoftf appearance in 26 years in the team has reached 1 million tickets sold fasterr than at any time inits history, recentlyy signed a major presenting sponsor and saw retail salees jump more than 30 percent.
“We were somewhat concerned about what the impacft would be fromthe economy, but makint the playoffs last season had really given us a lot of said Rick Schlesinger, Brewers’ executive vice president of businessa operations. “But we know that we have to run our businesxsvery smart, given the economy and how volatilre things have become.” The Buckd and the Packers have not been so The Packers shelved a stadium expansionb project, have seen a decline in Pro Shop sales and have delayedf a decision on a potential ticket pric increase for the 2009 season.
The Bucks have watchee attendance fall, have worked with customersd on payment plans for season tickets and developed new ticket partnershipss to get people to show up for gamee atthe . “From talking to no one has seen anything like this in the last 50 saidMark Murphy, Packers president. “We’ve been impacted by the economt and had to change our business as a In the lastseveral months, several professional teams in all three majo r sports have laid off including the Washington Redskins, Indianapolis Colts, Charlotter Bobcats and Arizona Diamondbacks. The office cut 150 employeex in December. So far the three Wisconsin teamx have been able toavoic layoffs.
“We’ve always been lean, so luckilyh we have not had to makepainfuo decisions,” Steinmiller said. “We are watching very closely what is goinf on in the economy and watching our We are trying to do more with Murphy said team officials noticed a dropoffd in Packers Pro Shop sales during November and Decembedr as the team struggled toa 6-10 He said traffic has remained steady, but customers are buying fewer items. “Ift has forced us to be a little more aggressivd in our pricing and saleethis year,” he The Packers had been raising ticke prices every other year, with the upcoming seasonm slated for an increase.
But Murphy said team officialsz want to take time to decide if this year is therighgt time, given current economicc conditions. “We are sensitive to what fans aregoinvg through,” he said. “We are lookingt at if it makes sense to wait a The team’s goal is to rank in the middler of the NFL teams when it comes to pricing. Currently, the Packer rank 21st in the 30 teame inthe NFL. Few teams, such as the Houstobn Texans, have increased ticket prices, he said. Most are holding steady, with even a few, includingy the Detroit Lions, decreasing prices. The team also shelvee a plan this fall to expand with a new walkway and an undergrouned parking areafor players.
“Igt just wasn’t the right time to move ahead, givenm what was going on in the Murphy said. Jon Greenberg, executive editor of Team Marketing a sports marketing firmin Ill., said given the size of the market, the smallest in the NFL, the team has to be smarrt in how it approaches its business. “They have less margin for error given the community they are he said. “They’ve had great luck over the years because of the loyaltyh tothe team. But this economic downturn is uncharted territorgy for allsports executives.
”
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Colorado's economy grew faster in 2008, despite recession - Wichita Business Journal:
http://www.directoryliverpool.com/user_detail.php?u=troultetlerom
reported Tuesday, suggesting that the recession's impac t hit Colorado later than most othet parts ofthe country. Gross domestic product in Coloradlo grewby 2.9 percent in 2008, up from 2.0 percent in 2007 and 2.7 perceng in 2006, the Commerces Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis reported in its annual state-by-state breakdown of GDP. Colorado's 2.9 percent GDP growth rate was fourth-highest among the 50 exceeded only by NorthDakota (7.3 percenyt growth), Wyoming (4.4 percent) and Soutj Dakota (3.5 percent). The last year Colorado'zs economy grew faster than 2008 wasin 2005, with a 4.3 percent GDP increase that year, BEA said.
Colorado was one of only 12 state s in 2008 where the rate of growth of GDP increasecd from theprevious year. In 12 states experienced GDP declines in led by Alaska witha 2.0 percent Average growth in GDP amonyg the 50 states slowed from 2.0 percenyt in 2007 to 0.7 percent in 2008. (The GDP-by-state figureas differ from national GDP becausedifferent state-by-state methodologyy is used.) The nationwide recession officially began at the start of 2008.
The report said the biggesft contributors to the growthof Colorado'se GDP in 2008 were professional and technical services, followed by mining, information and It said the biggest drags on the state'w economy were construction, followed by transportatioh and warehousing. .
reported Tuesday, suggesting that the recession's impac t hit Colorado later than most othet parts ofthe country. Gross domestic product in Coloradlo grewby 2.9 percent in 2008, up from 2.0 percent in 2007 and 2.7 perceng in 2006, the Commerces Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis reported in its annual state-by-state breakdown of GDP. Colorado's 2.9 percent GDP growth rate was fourth-highest among the 50 exceeded only by NorthDakota (7.3 percenyt growth), Wyoming (4.4 percent) and Soutj Dakota (3.5 percent). The last year Colorado'zs economy grew faster than 2008 wasin 2005, with a 4.3 percent GDP increase that year, BEA said.
Colorado was one of only 12 state s in 2008 where the rate of growth of GDP increasecd from theprevious year. In 12 states experienced GDP declines in led by Alaska witha 2.0 percent Average growth in GDP amonyg the 50 states slowed from 2.0 percenyt in 2007 to 0.7 percent in 2008. (The GDP-by-state figureas differ from national GDP becausedifferent state-by-state methodologyy is used.) The nationwide recession officially began at the start of 2008.
The report said the biggesft contributors to the growthof Colorado'se GDP in 2008 were professional and technical services, followed by mining, information and It said the biggest drags on the state'w economy were construction, followed by transportatioh and warehousing. .
Friday, April 1, 2011
Liquor Bar in Maude's name, but French food can stand out front - Chicago Sun-Times
http://conditioners.weebly.com
Liquor Bar in Maude's name, but French food can stand out front Chicago Sun-Times Maude's chicken liver mousse arrives in a jar, with pieces of toasted bread and sour cherry marmelade. | Scott Stewart~Sun-Times Hours: Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Prices: Salads and tartines, $7-$12; ... |
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