No surprises here...
http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20070701084010195
Data-driven Ethics: Exploring Customer Privacy in the Information Era
Sunday, July 01 2007 @ 08:40 AM CDT Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Businesses & Privacy
An examination of issues related to the collection and use of personal information by hotel companies finds that many consumers would like to retain control of their personal information. In particular, they are concerned about what companies learn about their proclivities in the course of monitoring their commercial transactions. While the chief concerns vary from country to country, many respondents to a survey were unhappy that personal data could be stored long-term, citing the possibility of identity theft. Adopting a systems orientation and considering three ethical principles would go far to reassure customers that their data are secure. Those principles are minimize harm, offer respect, and operate consistently. The growth of data mining and data sharing, as well as current concerns over personal data privacy, means that these issues should be considered by managers, CIOs, marketing personnel, IT professionals, and consumers.
Source - Wagner & Kupriyanova: Cornell Hospitality Report: Data-driven Ethics: Exploring Customer Privacy in the Information Era [pdf, June 2007]. Free reg. required to access report.
We can, therefore we must
http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20070701061830532
AU: Bosses face new privacy laws in toilets
Sunday, July 01 2007 @ 06:18 AM CDT Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Non-U.S. News
Victorian bosses who put surveillance devices in workplace toilets and change rooms will face two years' jail and a $26,000 fine under new laws beginning on Sunday.
The workplace privacy laws are a response to a Victorian Law Reform Commission inquiry, which found workplaces were not covered enough by laws on privacy issues.
Source - The Age
Oh come on now. I wouldn't do that! Often. Still, it could be amusing...
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/01/1725245&from=rss
Cart Locking System Released as Open Source
Posted by Zonk on Sunday July 01, @07:01PM from the magic-tubes-and-pots-and-pans dept. Toys Science
An anonymous reader writes "You may have noticed that over the past few years it has become increasingly common to find supermarket and large retail store shopping carts equipped with 'boots' designed to lock up if you try to take the cart outside of the store. Now, someone has discovered through some clever analysis the signal used to both lock and unlock carts, and has designed a portable system that locks up all carts within 20 feet of the emitter! They have released the schematics, software, and detailed instructions for assembling the systems on Instructables, an online magazine dedicated to releasing howto's for everything from rat taxidermy to Shopping Cart EMPs under a Creative Commons License."
In Denver we used to love the Broncos... I wonder what happened to them? (Can we survive with less than 45 hours of Bronco news/highlights/pre-game/post-game/live coverage of the draft/video of the tean plane arriving/etc.) Dumb Dumb Dumb
Under NFL Rule, Media Web Sites Are Given Just 45 Seconds to Score
By Paul Farhi Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, June 30, 2007; Page C01
Thanks to a new NFL policy, something will soon be in short supply on news-media Web sites: video of almost anything related to the NFL or its players.
In a move designed to protect the Internet operations of its 32 teams, the pro football league has told news organizations that it will no longer permit them to carry unlimited online video clips of players, coaches or other officials, including video that the news organizations gather themselves on a team's premises. News organizations can post no more than 45 seconds per day of video shot at a team's facilities, including news conferences, interviews and practice-field reports.
... By limiting access to news organizations, the teams hope to drive fans to the teams' sites for exclusive information and clips.
... Legal experts say the policies do not violate any laws, because the NFL is entitled to establish the terms of access to its privately owned facilities.
The NFL is the only major league sport that places such restrictions on Web video. Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL permit unlimited use of video on Web sites apart from game footage, said Jim Jenks, the Philadelphia Inquirer's executive sports editor and the outgoing president of the Associated Press Sports Editors, which has negotiated with the NFL over its online video policy since last fall.
... In addition to the 45-second-per-day limit, news organizations must also provide a link to NFL.com and a team's Web site for any team-related footage shown on those Web sites. The league also prohibits news outlets from selling advertising tied to video gathered at a team's facilities.
"We're trying to balance protection of our business assets with the equally important need to receive extensive news media coverage and communicate with as many fans as possible on a regular basis," Aiello said. "We have no interest in controlling or limiting what news Web sites do, except limiting the use of video that undermines our own Internet operations.
... ... In the meantime, the 45-second rule has prompted a satirical video by Houston Chronicle sports columnist John McClain. In the video, which has been posted on several sites, McClain interviews Houston Texans players and team owner Bob McNair while a colleague, eager to keep the proceedings under the 45-second limit, holds a stopwatch. Before the players can complete their answers to McClain's questions, his colleague shouts, "Time!" or "Cut!" and the interviews abruptly end.
In introducing the footage, McClain says: The video "shows you just how restrictive [the new policy] can be."
Toward a holodeck? At least toward the “feelies” as described in Brave New World. (I can't wait to see what the porn industry does with this!)
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/02/0158250&from=rss
Tangible Display Makes 3D Touchable
Posted by Zonk on Sunday July 01, @11:07PM from the haptic-happenstance dept. Displays Science Technology
moon_monkey writes "Researchers in Japan have developed a display that makes 3D objects solid enough to grasp. The system, created by engineers at Japan's NTT, combines a 3D display with a haptic glove, making 3D items that look real but also feel solid to touch. Two cameras are used to image an object, to make the 3D image. A computer also uses this to render a solid representation. It could be used to inspect products remotely, or even to shake hands with someone on the other side of the world, the researchers say."
Needs more videos! Anyone interested?
http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/015326.html
July 01, 2007
Video Search Engine for Science Videos
"ScienceHack is a unique video search engine for science videos... Every video is screened and approved based on accuracy and quality by our scientists... So far we indexed: Physics, Chemistry, and Space. Coming soon: Geology, Psychology, Robotics and Computer."
Undoubtedly the most important technological development in years!
http://digg.com/playable_web_games/i_x_u_op_p_sdn
¡ʇxǝʇ uʍop-ǝpısdn ǝʇıɹʍ
Cool little webpage which can ǝsɹǝʌǝɹ whatever text you type into it, not only horizontally but also vertically.
http://www.revfad.com/flip.html
Who'd a thunk it? (You're welcome!)
http://selfpursuit.com/34/increase-brain-activity/
Increase Brain Activity
June 18th, 2007
... 8. Subscribe to a daily newsletter.
“Make the most out of your web surfing. Whether it’s a “word of the day,” “quote of the day” or “this day in history” newsletter, receiving new information each day will add data to the hard drive in your head. The mental stimulation will increase your comprehension skills. The additional knowledge will also make you sound more worldly and intelligent.”
Just guess what I'm going to be researching today!
http://www.neomeme.net/2007/02/07/nine-cool-things-you-didnt-know-you-could-do-with-wikipedia#
Nine Cool Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do With Wikipedia
Published by Ilya Lichtenstein on February 7, 2007 06:49 am under tutorial, Uncategorized
You probably know Wikipedia as the world’s largest encyclopedia, suitable for research on most any topic. You know you can look up terms, but what you may not know is that Wikipedia features a ton of other information that can do a lot more than help you with that research paper. Wikipedia can also be a:
TV Episode Guide. Just search for “list of ____ episodes” with the name of the show, and you will see every episode catalogued and summarized, often with trivia and other factoids.
Cliffs Notes Replacement. Don’t want to read that weighty tome for your literature class? Don’t worry, Wikipedia is on your side. Just type in the name of the book, and you will be presented with a plot summary, themes, symbols, and other in-depth analysis.
Learning Activities. This is from Wikiversity, a Wikipedia sister site. Whether you are a student wanting extra practice for a difficult subject or a teacher looking for homework assignments or handouts for your students, Wikiversity provides tutorials and worksheets on subjects ranging from AJAX programming to Philosophy. Wikiversity is currently woefully incomplete, but many subject have lengthy, well-written tutorials.
Stock Images Collection. Need royalty-free stock images for your next web design or desktop publishing project? Turn to Wikimedia Commons, where you can browse images by subject, licence, or author. So if you need, for example, a radioactive Diderot for that big presentation to the investors, you’re all set.
Music Database. Want to discover new music? Wikipedia has extensive cataloguing of music by genre, making it easy to find similar bands to those you already like.
Time Capsule. Want to know what people thought of a topic years ago? Wikipedia archives all changes, so simply by clicking on the “history” tab on top of the page and then “Earliest” on the very bottom you can see an article as it was written years ago. Aside from demonstrating the fluid and ever-changing nature of Wikipedia, but also offers a glimpse into how people thought years ago. The value of this technique will increase over the years as Wikipedia gets older.
Future Planner. Just as it can go backward in time, Wikipedia can also go
backwardforward. Wikipedia has articles stretching far into the next millennium. Want to see what you need to schedule for 2008? How about the World Cup in 2038? And be sure(assuming you’ve reached immortality) to pencil in the unsealing of that time capsule in 8113 AD.Trend Tracker. Perhaps even more important than what people are searching for on Google or other search engines is what people are researching. This page show the most popular Wikipedia articles. For example, following the Super Bowl, a lot of people went to research Prince,whose search numbers spiked recently. A list of sexual positions, however, remains an all-time favorite. Which brings us to our next and final topic:
Teacher of Sex Positions. The list is more comprehensive than most books on the topic, complete with pictures. Hell, you can even use Wikipedia to look for porn.
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