Technology
Posted on October 9, 2011 in Business/Law, Technology
Two lawmakers are asking the Federal Trade Commission to look into allegations that Hulu.com and MSN.com install undeletable “supercookies” that can’t be deleted. Cookies are put onto users’ computers to collect data when visit they visit certain websites.
However, these cookies can recreate a user’s profile even after other cookies are deleted, the lawmakers said. “We believe this new business practice raises serious privacy concerns and is unacceptable,” they wrote. “We believe the usage of supercookies takes away consumer control over their own personal information, presents a greater opportunity for misuse of personal information, and provides another way for consumers to be tracked online.”
Representatives Joe Barton and Ed Markey, co-chairmen of the House Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, urged the FTC to look into whether privacy is violated by the presence of supercookies. The FTC has supported a “do not track” option for the Internet that would limit the ability of the advertiser to collect consumers’ data.
The FTC has also backed proposals that company privacy policies be clearer and simpler in an effort to help consumers manage what advertisers know about them.
Do you visit Hulu.com or MSN.com?
Posted on October 7, 2011 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Technology
Apple Inc.’s newest iPhone 4S has been met with harsh criticism from investors and fans after leaving Wall Street, sending shares plummeting down to 5 percent before recovering to close down 0.6 percent.
Enthusiasts of the former iteration of the iPhone expected to be blown away with new features for the gadget. While the device comes with voice recognition and a better camera, it looks identical to the last version. Analysts say that in future months, it will be even more important to keep up the popularity of the older iPhone 4.
The iPhone has been a hot commodity since it first emerged in 2007, making Apple one of the leading consumer electronics companies. The iPhone accounts for more than 40% of Apple’s sales.
Android phones by Samsung Electronics and other rivals are starting to approach Apple’s sizable lead, making it even more important for Apple to create a buzz with the new product.
Will you buy the new iPhone?
Posted on September 25, 2011 in Business/Law, Technology
Recent changes on Facebook have users of the social networking site scrambling to check their privacy settings. Among the more prominent changes is a rolling “ticker” displaying a real time list of your friends’ activity in a collapsible chat bar. The ticker also allows you to eavesdrop on conversations of virtual friends and strangers.
If you’re leery about information sharing, it may be time to recheck your privacy settings. The “friends of friends” and “public” settings allow your comments, “likes,” and other activity to be broadcast widely. When one of your friends comments on a thread, Facebook displays your original post for their friends to see.
The privacy controls in the top right can help you form lists of who you want to see information. More importantly, encourage your friends to restrict their setting to “friends” or use custom lists. Current advice being circulated on Facebook statuses suggests that users should unsubscribe from updates in order to fix the security issue. This option only stops you from seeing when other people have broadcast their activity. It does not stop your activity from being displayed to the public.
What do you think of the new Facebook?
Posted on September 22, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Opinion, Recent Studies, Technology, Women's Health
Women over the age of 65 who fracture a hip are more likely to die from other causes in the following year than they would have been had they avoided injury, a new study suggests. The study is the first to suggest a cause-and-effect relationship between hip fracture and death.
The study tracked women in four states nationwide between 1986 and 2005, as part of a larger study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers matched women from this pool of study participants with women of the same age who had not. Those who suffered a hip fracture had twice the odds of dying within one year of their injury than did their peers in the control group during the same year. Seventeen percent of the women who experienced a fracture died during the year, versus 8% in the control group.
The most common causes of death in both groups were heart disease, stroke, and sepsis. More than half the deaths in the fracture group occurred within three months of injury, and almost three-quarters happened within six months.
The youngest women in the group had the highest risk of death: For women 65 to 69, hip fracture quintupled the odds of death in one year. The study authors suggest that all postmenopausal women get enough bone-strengthening calcium and vitamin D in their diets, as well as avoid smoking and excessive alcohol intake.
Have you experienced a hip fracture?
Posted on September 13, 2011 in Parenting, Recent Studies, Technology
A popular children’s cartoon negatively impacts 4-year-olds’ attention spans, according to a study published by the journal Pediatrics. Watching ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ was detrimental to their ability to stay on task, the study claims.
University of Virginia researchers recruited 60 mostly white and middle- or upper-middle-class 4-year-olds and randomly divided them into three groups. One group watched a 9-minute clip of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” a second watched a 9-minute clip of “Caillou,” a realistic PBS cartoon about a preschool boy, and the third drew pictures for 9 minutes instead of watching television.
Afterwards, the researchers examined what psychologists called “executive function” in the groups. The kids’ ability to stay on task and not be distracted was evaluated.
Those who watched PBS and drew performed equally well on tests, while those who spent time watching SpongeBob did significantly worse. Watching the full half-hour could be even more detrimental to kids’ attention spans, study authors speculated. Fast-paced programming aimed at a slightly older demographic might be too much for young kids to handle.
Posted on September 12, 2011 in Business/Law, Technology
Could Facebook be gearing up to compete against Apple’s iTunes? The social networking giant plans to allow its 750 million users to listen to music and share songs through the site.
News of the new feature is expected to be unveiled at this month’s “f8” conference on September 22 in San Francisco. The conference is an annual event held by Facebook to show off its latest technology.
Music services are expected to allow Facebook users to listen to libraries of millions of songs directly via the site, without having to install additional software. Users will probably be able to purchase music directly via the site.
Rumors are swirling that music streaming sites such as Spotify, Rdio and MOG are being considered as initial partners for the venture. Technology blog Mashable suggested that Facebook may eventually go beyond music, possibly streaming movies by Netflix on the popular social networking site.
Posted on September 5, 2011 in FDA, Health & Medicine, Recent Studies, Technology
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are designed to save lives by administering shocks to hearts in cardiac arrests. But what can be done when the device fails to work because of an easily preventable error? A new study finds that almost a quarter of potentially deadly AED failures are due to problems with batteries.
A study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine tracks 1,150 AED failures over a 15-year period. Nearly one in four of those failures occurred due to problems with batteries, according to researchers who pored through nearly 41,000 reports of adverse events associated with the devices. Problems with wiring and with the pads that attached to the patient’s chest accounted for other top concerns.
According to information in the FDA’s database, 23.2 percent of the AED failures were due to battery/power failures, while 23.7 percent were due to problems with the pads or connectors. Batteries on AEDs typically last anywhere from three to five years. The devices signal when users should change the batteries with an error message.
Study authors urged that people using AEDs should report when the device fails. If the unit powers off, for instance, people can indicate whether the problem was due to the batteries or some other cause.
Do you know how to use an AED?
Posted on August 26, 2011 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Holistic Remedies, Technology
- Macy’s is recalling 960,000 Martha Stewart Collection™ casserole dishes because of a laceration and burn hazard. The enamel coating on the cast iron casseroles can crack or break during use.
- Office Depot is recalling 34,000 desk chairs due to a “pinching hazard” discovered after a man got his finger caught in an opening in the chair’s tilt mechanism.
- New Zealand-based manufacturer phil&teds recalled 54,000 clip-on chairs whose missing or worn vice clamp pads allowed them in some cases to detach from tabletops, potentially crushing children’s fingertips. Five injuries have been reported.
- Winn-Dixie stores recalled its “Winn-Dixie Choco Charm Chocolate Drink,” sold at its in-store dairy departments, because the product may be mislabeled and may contain the undeclared allergen of wheat.
- Porsche recalled a recall of several model year cars due to a possible seatbelt problem. Potentially affected vehicles include the 2012 911 Carrera, 2012 Boxster S and Boxster Spyder, 2011 911 Speedster, and 2012 Cayman.
- Johnson & Johnson recalled about 2.45 million packages of Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom Nighttime Rapid Release Gelcaps after detecting slightly higher-than-expected levels of a compound known as chlorpheniramine ammonio acetate, or CPAA, in certain capsules.
- C. O. Lynch Enterprises Inc. is recalling Itasca Fusion Hiker boots sold exclusively at Big 5 Sporting Goods Stores from March 2011 to June 2011. The boots could fail to provide the intended protection against impact.
- Umarex USA is recalling Browning 800 Mag Air Pistols sold nationwide from July 2006 to February 2008. Under a variety of circumstances, the safety will not prevent the gun from firing.
- Radio Flyer is recalling Scoot ‘n Zoom children’s riding toy sold from August 2010 to August 2011. The toy can tip over, allowing a child to fall backward while riding.
- Maserati has recalled hundreds of cars in the U.S. and Canada to fix a potential rear suspension defect, including 763 Granturismo and Quattroporte models in the U.S. and 38 in Canada that were manufactured between July 3, 2008 and Sept. 30, 2008.
Posted on August 18, 2011 in Consumer Goods, FDA, Health & Medicine, Recalls, Recent Studies, Technology
- General Motors Co. is recalling certain 2012 Chevrolet Impala sedans to check their power-steering hoses, and 2012 model-year Buick LaCrosse sedans because their stability control systems could cause crashes instead of preventing them.
- About 450 LED exit signs with emergency lights manufactured by Best Lighting Products are recalled because they may malfunction and fail to illuminate in case of a power failure.
- Merrick Pet Care of Amarillo, Tex., recalled 248 cases of its Doggie Wishbone pet treats because of potential contamination with salmonella.
- About 1.86 million EnergySaver — also known as Marathon or Marathon Classic — compact fluorescent dimmable reflector lamps manufactured by Philips Lighting Co. are being recalled. The glue that attaches the glass outer envelope or globe to the body of the lamp can fail.
- About 16,000 NexTorch NT123A flashlight batteries imported by NexTorch Inc. are being recalled because they may overheat and rupture.
- Miss Bonnie’s Gourmet is recalling its Miss Bonnie’s Gourmet Classic Cheddar Cheese Spread distributed between 8/1/2011 and 8/10/2011, due to possible contamination with salmonella.
- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Inc. is recalling its f&e-brand organic baby spinach because it could be contaminated with listeria.
- Nestle Purina Petcare Company is recalling 3.5 and 7 pound bags of Purina ONE Vibrant Maturity 7+ Dry Cat Food because it may be contaminated with Salmonella.
- AdvancePierre Foods, Inc. recalled 10,668 pounds of beef patty products that may contain metal fragments.
- Build-A-Bear Workshop recalled 26,500 lapel pins because they contain excessive amounts of lead.
Posted on August 12, 2011 in Animals, Health & Medicine, Technology
A woman who underwent a full face transplant after being mauled by a chimpanzee showed off the successful operation in a photograph released this week. Charla Nash, 57, had the 20-hour face transplant procedure performed last May.
Nash was injured after being attacked by a friend’s 200-pound pet chimpanzee. She lost her hands, lips, nose and eyes. Her operation to restore facial features was only the third of its kind performed in the United States, all at the same hospital. More than 30 members of a medical team, including physicians, nurses, and anesthesiologist, contributed to the surgery. A hand transplant was initially successful, but failed after complications from pneumonia and had to be removed.
Nash made a statement upon the occasion: “I will now be able to do things I once took for granted,” she said. “I will be able to smell. I will be able to eat normally. I will no longer be disfigured. I will have lips and will speak clearly once again. I will be able to kiss and hug loved ones.”
