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 .
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
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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