Once upon a time, Japanese manufacturing was known for quality... Any flaw was exhaustively studied. I guess they don't need to do that any more...
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/53408.html
Sony May Have Known About Battery Problems
By Keith Regan www.EcommerceTimes.com Part of the ECT News Network 10/03/06 10:58 AM PT
Sony reportedly knew that it's laptop batteries were susceptible to overheating and possibly catching fire but failed to sufficiently study the problem. Apple, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo and IBM have all issued recalls because of potential fire hazards caused by the batteries. The number of computers recalled worldwide has now reached approximately 7 million.
... A Japanese newspaper, the Yomiuri Shimbun, said Tuesday that Sony first became aware that a Dell laptop computer equipped with one of its batteries caught fire nearly a year ago, in November of 2005. The electronics maker then determined the cause of the problem was metal particles left behind in the batteries during manufacturing.
The newspaper claimed that Sony did not test similar batteries it had made for other PC manufacturers or examine how Dell's notebook wiring may have contributed to the problem. Doing so may have helped avoid the worldwide recall now underway, the report suggested.
You don't suppose this is a Sony problem too?
http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/03/exploding-hello-kitty-toys-recalled/
Exploding Hello Kitty toys recalled
Posted Oct 3rd 2006 8:01AM by Darren Murph Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Although a Hello Kitty toy might not seem quite as dangerous (read: life threatening) as the notebooks and cellphones we're toting these days, the explosive tendencies have somehow veered from batteries to stuffed animals. In the latest episode of spontaneous combustion, Takara is being forced to recall specific Hello Kitty dolls which featured a heatable disc that could be warmed and stuffed within the lining to keep kids toasty while resting. Apparently the microwavable pad housed a chemical substance (manufactured by ADEKA) not quite stable enough to handle the heat, sparking a lengthy list of of cases where the liquid erupted from its container and provided an uncomfortable surprise to the poor soul embracing the creature's volcanic warmth. It was noted that this has "nothing to do" with the scapegoat-of-the-year (Li-ion cells), but if you (or your offspring) just loves to cuddle with this volatile critter, you should probably ice the situation before it unleashes something a bit more serious than a cat's meow.
Don't they know most organizations wait till Friday?
Disks with personal data missing from Seattle airport
By ELIZABETH M. GILLESPIE Associated Press Writer Oct 3, 11:18 AM EDT
SEATTLE (AP) -- Six computer disks containing personal data on more than 6,900 people who applied for new or replacement identity badges are missing from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, airport officials say.
Mark Reis, the airport's managing director, said officials do not know whether the disks were misplaced [clearly they were not placed in the safe... Bob] or taken off airport property, but they do not believe any information has been used improperly.
"We have no reason to think that this information has gone anywhere it doesn't belong, [but it isn't where it belongs... Bob] but we felt it was the appropriate thing to do to let people know we couldn't account for the information," Reis told The Associated Press on Monday.
Information on the CDs includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, addresses and phone numbers of current and former workers at airlines, airport concessions, the Port of Seattle and other employers at the airport, as well as some people who applied for badges but may not have received them, Reis said.
Although the disks were missing from the office where ID badges are issued, Reis said the missing information was not considered a security risk.
"To use a badge, you have to be able to include the computer chip that's in the badge as well as the biometric information on the badge," Reis said. "None of that information is involved."
The airport's director of security learned about the situation two weeks ago, and officials decided last week they needed to inform people about the missing disks, Reis said.
In a statement posted on its Web site, the Port of Seattle said it has access to the original data, knows whose information was on the missing disks and had mailed notification letters to those affected on Monday.
All told, the disks include information on 6,939 individuals, Reis said.
Reis noted that his personal data was on one of the missing disks, each of which includes about one month of data. The oldest disk dates back to December 2001, while the most recent one is from early 2006, Reis said.
The port advised anyone who learns his or her information is on a missing disk to closely monitor personal financial accounts for any suspicious activity.
In an e-mail to the AP, Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Jennifer Marty-Peppin said the agency is aware of the situation and works closely with the port, but had no comment on the matter.
---On the Net: Port statement: http://www.portseattle.org/seatac/special.shtml#item1 
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/15669785.htm
Company includes Ohio inmates' health records as part of lawsuit
Associated Press Posted on Tue, Oct. 03, 2006
AKRON, Ohio - County officials say they are outraged that a health care company has included dozens of jail inmates' detailed medical records in court documents available to the public.
The records are typically kept secret under federal privacy laws. NaphCare Inc. included files from 2004 and 2005, which in some cases include a diagnosis and patient's name, as part of its lawsuit against Summit County in northeast Ohio.
Birmingham, Ala.-based NaphCare, which provides health care to inmates in 19 states, said it needed to include the records in the court filing to prove that the county owes the company money for treatment given to the inmates.
The county is disputing more than $700,000 in charges by the company, which sued last month to recover the money.
Some of the 250-plus pages of court records reveal the names of inmates being treated for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Other documents identify inmates receiving medications for ailments including heart problems, alcohol withdrawal, sexually transmitted diseases, acne, spontaneous miscarriages and "feminine genital symptoms."
"It wasn't a mistake. It is justified by the statute," said Alex Goldsmith, NaphCare's lawyer. "This is one of the few ways to prove expenditures were made, and in our minds that's an absolute requirement."
Goldsmith says medical records are allowed to be used in the attempt to recoup money under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which protects the privacy of individual medical records.
County officials say the records could have been sealed when the lawsuit was filed.
"I'm speechless, to be honest with you," said Karen Doty, the county's law director. "It's appalling and sloppy to say the least."
Coty said the county asked NaphCare before it sued last month for the records but the company refused, citing the federal law.
"We could have taken the extra step to get the records sealed. It's not required by law, but out of an abundance of caution, we will now ask the judge to do that," said Goldsmith, the company's attorney.
The case is pending before Common Pleas Judge Patricia A. Cosgrove.
The jail, required by law to provide medical care, houses an average of 600 inmates a day.
Looks like we could base an article on disclosure guidelines on research like this.
http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/415?ref=rss
Disclosure Survey
Federico Biancuzzi, 2006-09-05
Federico Biancuzzi surveys statements from some of the world's largest software companies about vulnerability disclosure, interviews two security companies who pay for vulnerabilities, and then talks with three prominent, independent researchers about their thoughts on choosing a responsible disclosure process. In three parts.
Part 1: Vendor statements
SF: What type of disclosure process should independent researchers adopt when they find a vulnerability?
Part 2: the disclosure process
SF: What type of disclosure process should independent researchers adopt when they find a vulnerability?
Part 3: Prominent researchers discuss the disclosure process
SF: When you find an exploitable vulnerability, what makes you choose the type of disclosure process (if any)?
This is a bit of a rant, but it is one I should have written...
http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/416?ref=rss
A Question of Ethics
Scott Granneman, 2006-09-15
Ethics are of incredible importance in the security field. Scott Granneman looks at recent examples of poor security decisions made at HP, Diebold, Sony, and Microsoft.
For the e-discovery folks as well as security...
http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1875?ref=rss
Microsoft Office Security, part two
Khushbu Jithra 2006-08-29
... 2. Avenues for MS Office forensic investigation
During the 'analysis' phase of a forensic investigation involving MS Office files, some features which investigators would fancy are explained below. Known to aid the efficiency of the software, these features can turn out to be excellent sources for information for vital evidence.
Forsooth the child of today
will not upon his iPod play
the rhymes his parents had to learn
'cause learnin' ain't da modern way
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INTERNET_POETRY?SITE=VALYD&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Oct 3, 9:22 PM EDT
British Co. Launches Modern Poetry Site
LONDON (AP) -- British entertainment company 57 Productions launched a new Web site Tuesday which allows users to download and listen to poetry on their MP3 players and iPods.
The modern poetry site, called iPoems, will be available to the public on Wednesday, 57 Productions spokesman Philip Abraham said.
About 1,000 readings from poetry written in English are available for 95 cents for each audio poem and $1.80 for a video poem. The company offers a free one-month trial membership. After that, subscriptions are $18 a year.
One featured artist is Jean "Binta" Breeze who performs a Caribbean version of Geoffrey Chaucer's "Wife of Bath" tale.
At a London theater, artists, promoters and guests planned to celebrate the launch Tuesday evening, sipping champagne and listening to poets perform.
---On the Net: iPoems, http://www.ipoems.org.uk
“Fortunately we have a plan to budget for a study to see if there should be a plan to form a committee to determine if we need to take action resolution-wise...” Translation: don't bother us with facts!
GAO: Medicare data network vulnerable
By Grant Gross, IDG News Service October 03, 2006
The communications network used to transmit medical data for the U.S. government's Medicare and Medicaid programs has security vulnerabilities that could expose patients' medical data and other personal information, according to a report released Tuesday.
The report, released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), identified 47 weaknesses [Piffle! What are a mere 47 weaknesses when we have data on millions of Americans? Bob] in the way the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) used a WAN (wide-area network) operated by an unnamed contractor. CMS uses the network to transmit claims data -- including patient names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses and medical information -- to health-care facilities, contractors, financial institutions, and state Medicaid offices.
"A security breach in this communication network could lead to interruptions in the processing of medical claims or to unauthorized access to personally identifiable medical data, seriously diminishing the public's trust in CMS's ability to protect the sensitive beneficiary data it is entrusted with," the GAO said in the report.
I am impressed at how rapidly AOL has progressed into the 1990s
http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-6122498.html?part=rss&tag=6122498&subj=news
AOL offers new high-speed software
By Elinor Mills Story last modified Wed Oct 04 04:58:32 PDT 2006
AOL on Wednesday launched the beta of a new, free version of its software optimized for broadband use.
The AOL OpenRide software lets people access multiple e-mail accounts from AOL and other providers, send and receive instant messages, browse the Web, listen to music, view photos and watch videos--all through one integrated screen.
OpenRide offers access to the AOL Buddy List and Address Book and, if a contact is not online, the software turns an instant message into a text message or e-mail.
The new software comes after AOL announced plans this summer to offer most of its services for free in an effort to boost online advertising sales. It also stopped marketing its Internet dial-up access service, but continues to maintain and charge for it.
The OpenRide software screen is divided into four parts that change size depending on what the user is viewing. Elements of one window, an e-mail message for example, can be dragged and dropped into another window, such as the contact name on a buddy list.
Attention Corporate Lawyers!
http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/012674.html
October 02, 2006
Census Reports Half of U.S. Businesses Are Home-Based
Press release, September 27, 2006: "Almost half (49 percent) of the nation’s businesses are operated from home, and more than 6-in-10 owners used their own money to start the business, according to new U.S. Census Bureau reports on characteristics of businesses and business owners."
Don't be silly, why would any company want to speak to their customers?
http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/012670.html
October 02, 2006
Wiki Tracks Fortune 500 Companies With Blogs
"This is a directory of Fortune 500 companies that have business blogs, defined as: active public blogs by company employees about the company and/or its products."
This could be very challenging for politicians...
http://techdirt.com/articles/20061003/120954.shtml
Comcast Trials BSOD For Politicians
from the worth-a-shot dept
With campaign season in full swing, there's no shortage of 30-second attack ads that offer very little substantive information about the candidates. Obviously, politicians must feel they work, or they wouldn't keep spending money on them, but as voters have other media options besides the TV and are prone to skip political ads, it's inevitable that the effect of traditional political advertising is wearing off. Comcast is now offering campaigns the opportunity to buy long-form advertisements over its VOD service, ranging in length from 2 to 30 minutes. Of course, these spots won't be viewed by as many people, but a voter who actively seeks out a political commercial is probably the type of voter that candidates want to reach. And remember the popularity of Ross Perot's hour-long infomercials in which he explained the national debt? People will pay attention to political ads that are heavy on information. If politicians just put regular ads on the VOD service, there is little to no chance that anyone will want to watch them, but if they put up content that's informative and interesting -- as other advertisers are learning to do -- people may actually pay attention.
On the other hand... This won't bother politicians, they don't let facts get in the way...
http://techdirt.com/articles/20061004/003353.shtml
Google May Do Real-Time Politician Fact Checking, But Will Anyone Care?
from the doubtful dept
Google boss Eric Schmidt is talking about new ways that the internet may change politics, beyond its use as another avenue for fund raising or for rallying the donors and the voters. He suggests that one day soon Google or another internet service will offer a real-time fact checker for political statements, or, as he describes it, a "truth predictor," which he then believes will influence elections. Of course, that actually depends on whether or not anyone really cares about fact checking. During the last major election, there were plenty of blogs and sites set up to do near real-time fact checking on all of the bogus statements (and, man, were there a lot of them) that all of the major candidates said. The results, though, were pretty predictable. First, there were so many half-truths, rewriting of history and creative interpretations that those who paid attention simply learned that no one was being particularly honest most of the time. It certainly did little to influence viewpoints in one direction or the other, since the only conclusion you could reach was that all politicians treat facts and truth as mere guidelines, not to get in the way of the point they were trying to make. The second, bigger, issue was that the strongly partisan ("my party can do no wrong") crowd would immediately inflate the intellectual dishonesties of the other side, while explaining away those statements on their own side. In other words, it didn't matter. Real-time fact checking is nice to have -- and, perhaps it would be useful if those asking questions of the politicians could get an instant fact check for the sake of follow up questions (assuming anyone actually asked tough follow up questions), but it hardly seems likely to have that big an impact in a world where partisan rhetoric is all about winning rather than what's actually for the best and "spin" is more important than accountability.
I don't even recognize most of the names, but I'll alert the spouse/power-shopper
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/discount-with-checkout.html
10/03/2006 08:41:00 AM
Posted by Dror Shimshowitz, Product Marketing Manager
Here's another way it pays to use Google Checkout: there's a $10 bonus on purchases of $30 or more at participating stores.
“There is no subliminal message hidden in this recording. There is no subliminal message hidden in this recording. There is no subliminal message hidden in this recording.”
http://digg.com/music/Free_Relaxing_Music_and_Nature_Sounds_Tool_Very_Cool
Free Relaxing Music and Nature Sounds Tool - Very Cool!
webtech submitted by webtech 7 hours 45 minutes ago (via http://www.soundsleeping.com/ )
The free relaxing music and nature sounds on this website have been carefully chosen for their ability to aid sleep, reduce stress, and provide a relaxing atmosphere for activities such as yoga, tai-chi, and meditation.
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