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If passed, this law could change the online ad industry…


Consumer privacy shmivacy…

Similar to the Do Not Call Registry, the FTC is considering to implement a do not track list (as related to online advertising).

The idea of a universal opt-out is nothing new, and the industry has its own version in place through a trade group the Network Advertising Initiative, and companies such as Yahoo, Microsoft, Google and data exchange Blue Kai all allow consumers to opt-out of ad targeting.

But the idea of a federally-mandated system is reviving a long-held concern.

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but every single click you make, while surfing the Internet, is tracked by someone.  AND there are many companies out there, who are buying that information (your information).

Personally, I don’t think the government needs to regulate the Internet.

Further, it is my opinion that people need to become better educated about the ins/outs of the Internet.  For whatever reason, it seems like people feel ‘safe’ online, when, in fact they need to realize that while the Internet is a virtual world, it isn’t all that different from the real world…

I recently came across this website – www.pleaserobme.com – and recommend you check it out.

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Filed under: Business, Social Media, Tech, , , , , , , , ,

If someone complains about iPhone 4 on Twitter, but no one is online, does anyone hear it?


Apparently yes, but only if you live in the UK.

Last week Samsung opened a Twitter account – @SamsungUKMobile, and decided to take the time to respond to angry iPhone 4 owners.  Samsung’s response?

Try a Galaxy S, on us, to see how Android compares.

Pretty sweet.

Let me stop you now, kind citizens of the UK, before you go out on Twitter to complain about your iPhone 4.  Samsung has already announced that they’ve run out of phones to hand out.

Filed under: Business, , , , ,

NYC Restaurant Week…did they make the grade?


I’m sure you’ve already heard the news

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has recently debuted their new cleanliness rating system.  Each of the 24,000 restaurants in NYC and surrounding boroughs have been inspected and given a grade – either an A, B, or C.  It’s not like the grade is staying a secret between the restaurant and the Department of Health, no…we are ALL going to know the score.

As we speak, placards are being printed at the department’s print shop, and it is the restaurant’s responsibility to display their rating card prominently…otherwise they will be fined $1K (and additional penalties – I guess because it’s a new thing, they are trying to think of good ways to punish them).

The blue A card will correspond to 0 to 13 points under the old system, which imposed numerical penalties for each violation. A green B will designate a less sanitary 13 to 27 points, and an orange C will represent 28 points or more. A black-and-white “grade pending” sign will be posted in restaurants that are appealing their scores.

Coincidentally, NYC Restaurant Week which was supposed to last July 12-25, has been extended thru Labor Day. Yay!

So I decided to do a little test.  This is, by no means a reflection of all of the restaurants participating in NYC Restaurant Week.  Consider this a random (small) sample.

I filtered the list of steak restaurants participating in restaurant week.  Of the 18 steak restaurants:

9 restaurants are not listed on the NYC Dept of Health site

3 restaurants rated A (one restaurant received ZERO violation points!)

4 restaurants rated a B (between 15-26 violation points)

1 restaurant rated a C (35 violation points!)

But on the bright side,

Nicholas J. Monello, director of printing operations, said he had fulfilled orders for 9,375 A’s — more than the number of B’s and C’s combined.

Filed under: Business, , , , , , , , , , ,

Beer and squirrel…go together like a horse and carriage…


BrewDog, a Scottish brewery recently dubbed their new ale “The End of History“.  The name is quite fitting, as it’s 110 proof.. Hard liquor sold in the US is mainly between 80-95 proof.

But it’s all in the packaging..right?  (pic below is no joke!)

The brew comes in a bottle surrounded by a dead squirrel or weasel.

Not to fear, dear PETA friends

“All the animals were road-killed animals, were dead. And we think it’s a great way to present the beers,” said BrewDog’s co-founder James Watt. “And since it’s our final installment in our series of high-alcohol beers, we wanted to do something special, completely different for the packaging.

Price tag: $770.  But sorry folks, all 12 limited edition bottles sold out in 4 hours.

Filed under: Business, Marketing, Random, , , , , , ,

Reinvent yourself for better job prospects, literally.


Leave it to China (the next big superpower..if not already) to take it to that next level.

High school seniors and college students in China, aware of the bleak job market that awaits them, are trying to differentiate themselves from prospective competition not by education or experience…but sadly, by superficial means.

A new study has found that up to 80 percent of Beijing’s plastic surgery market consists of senior high school and college students hoping to improve their looks and land better jobs.

And I thought that don’t judge a book by its cover was universal.

Filed under: Business, World, , , ,

Facebook scores a D


The American Customer Satisfaction Index just came out with a study on Facebook-user satisfaction.  The American people have spoken…Facebook received a score of  64 (out of 100).

Facebook received a D, despite having a community of (officially) 500M users (equal to the entire population of the USA – roughly 300M, plus France, Italy, South Africa AND Australia). That’s a LOT of people…

“Facebook is a phenomenal success, so we were not expecting to see it score so poorly with consumers,” said Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results. “At the same time, our research shows that privacy concerns, frequent changes to the website, and commercialization and advertising adversely affect the consumer experience. Compare that to Wikipedia, which is a non-profit that has had the same user interface for years, and it’s clear that while innovation is critical, sometimes consumers prefer evolution to revolution.”

If so many people are truly dissatisfied with the site, why do people keep joining?

Filed under: Business, Social Media, , , , , , , ,

Empire State Building going green


In an effort to green itself, the tallest building in NYC is replacing each of its 6,514 double-hung, dual-pane windows…aka 26,056 panes of glass!

The cost of this project is a mere $13 million, and by ways of energy, is said to cut use by 38% and about $4.4 million per year (that’s impressive).

The building has earned a score of 90 (out of 100) from the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Energy Star” program. That means a building constructed at a size (102 stories), a time (1930) and a pace (about 14 months) not known for energy efficiency now ranks in the top 10th of commercial office buildings.

While this project is currently underway…most NYC residents (and even employees with offices in the Empire State Building) are probably unaware it’s even happening, since the windows are being removed and installed after office hours.

If you’re reading this AND you live in NYC…then you can consider yourself in the know.

Filed under: Business, Green, , , , , ,

Apple iPhone 4 = FAIL?


If you’re one of the thousands who ran out to buy the latest iPhone 4, and are annoyed with the constant dropped calls…Consumer Reports has come to the rescue with a fool-proof solution.

Duct tape.

Yes, for about $5 a roll, you can solve the issue on your $199 (and 2-year AT&T contract) phone.

Here’s a thought… Maybe Apple should focus on creating that AWESOME dependable product, rather than appease its brand fanatics by churning out new products each year.

Filed under: Business, Tech, , , ,

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