According to the AP

Q&A: Steve Rubel

2009-11-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

I recently caught up with Steve Rubel, Ad Week contributor and Edelman’s Director of Insights, for a quick chat. According to the AP: How would you tweet your role at Edelman? Steve Rubel: I am charged with identifying emerging digital trends, channels and technologies and helping our teams and clients fuse them into programs. ATTAP: You've developed a very specific niche for

Thatcher has died

2009-11-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

Canadian Transport Minister John Baird got some sad news the other day: His 16-year-old tabby cat had died. He let some of his friends know by a quick text reading “Thatcher has died.” And that’s when panic set in. The text was misinterpreted, and quickly spread. Soon the Canadian Prime Minsiter was alert of Margaret Thatcher’s demise. According to the AP: Harper's aide Dimitri

Where are my pancakes?

2009-11-13T12:00:00.004-05:00

Maybe giving up a little privacy to Facebook is a good thing. At 11:49 a.m. on October 17, 19-year-old Rodney Bradford’s Facebook updated his Facebook status from Harlem, asking “Where are my pancakes?” according to the NY Times. A moment later, someone was robbed at gunpoint in Brooklyn. Bradford, who has other robbery charges pending was brought in for a line-up and

Outed by Facebook?

2009-11-11T14:00:00.005-05:00

Facebook has certainly been a helpful tool in the coming out process for many. Simply set your interests to “men,” and you can cause a flurry of interest. But what if you want to be a little more discrete for whatever reason? Maybe you’re uncomfortable, maybe you’re shy, maybe it’s nobody’s business. That’s a discussion for another time – but OK, you want to keep your

Breaking News: People are lazy when they watch TV

2009-11-09T23:00:00.000-05:00

When it was first introduced, advertisers and TV executives thought the DVR was going to be their downfall. They thought audiences would jet past their expensive ads and ultimately kill television.   But it didn’t happen.   Via the NY Times:  Against almost every expectation, nearly half of all people watching delayed shows are still slouching on their couches watching messages about

What does Google know about you?

2009-11-07T14:00:00.001-05:00

Google reminded us again this week of exactly how much it knows about us all, when it unveiled Google Dashboard. Dashboard is a nifty tool that shows you all the information Google has on you. Well, maybe not all, but some. Or maybe just a sliver. You can get to Google Dashboard through a link in the “personal settings” section the “my account” page. According to the Google Systems

Parenting in the Digital Age

2009-11-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

I’ve posted before about my four-year-old niece. She can use the computer, she can navigate the cable box and she’s comfortable with a cell phone. But the scary part is none of this is extraordinary for her – it’s just part of life. WIRED’s Geek Dad blog takes on this topic in a recent post about how to raise an internet-savvy kid:When I was growing up, getting a

No on 1; Yes on Disclosure

2009-11-02T09:00:00.002-05:00

There is a time and place for everything – even privacy.Cloaked behind a veil of secrecy, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), a NJ-based anti-LGBT hate group, has been leading the fight in Maine to repeal that states same-sex marriage law. This past week, according to the Portland Press Herald, a federal judge “ruled that Maine's reporting requirements for

Miley Cyrus: Ban Twitter from the Universe

2009-11-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

In a recent interview, Miley Cyrus let it be known that she thinks Twitter should be “banned from the universe.” About a month ago the Hannah Montana star closed down her account on the microblogging site, citing her want to regain her privacy. Luckily she explained it through a rap she posted her YouTube site. As silly as it sounds, I think Miley is onto something

Facebook continues its tightrope walk

2009-10-31T11:20:00.002-04:00

Long plagued by issues of digital privacy, Facebook continues to navigate the fine line between protecting its users personal data and maintaining a profitable, ad-based business model. This past week, Facebook tried to appease both sides of the argument – those pesky, privacy-demanding users, and the oh-so attractive big-money advertisers. In a blog post on the site

Digital Stranger Danger

2009-10-26T12:00:00.002-04:00

I’m no Annie Leibovitz, but I know my way around a camera and I make pretty good use of Flickr, one of the leading photo sharing sites on the Web.As a sharing and networking platform, Flickr is pretty amazing. It’s a great source for feedback and inspiration on your photos – and I’ve even sold a few of my images. But every now and then, it’s a little disconcerting to

RIP: GeoCities

2009-10-26T09:00:00.002-04:00

A pioneer in the digital age but ultimately a casualty of progress, GeoCities died today in its sleep, surrounded by 12 remaining users, at its home in southern California. It was 15. Via ComputerWorld: Founded in 1994 as Beverly Hills Internet, what is now Yahoo GeoCities was one of the first services to offer an easy way for early Internet surfers to publish their

Time Warner leaves 64,000 customers vulnerable

2009-10-25T10:00:00.001-04:00

It’s pretty impressive that Time Warner Cable manages to provide universally dismal service and yet stays in business. Yay cable monopoly!From their laughable customer support to the dysfunctional cable boxes, TWC is really one of the most hateable companies. And here’s just one more reason: A “gaping” security hole in their cable modem routers left approximately

According to the AP on RSS

2009-10-22T12:00:00.001-04:00

So everyone is always asking how they can stay up-to-date with According to the AP. Well, now you can subscribe to my handy RSS feed. Check it out.

Kanye West is not dead

2009-10-21T23:30:00.005-04:00

Several reports today confirmed that Kanye West is not dead. Yay?While rumors surrounding his death circulated through Facebook and Twitter, fake news sites with reports of the singer’s demise quickly sprouted up, appearing on Web searches and ultimately infecting searchers computers with malware. According to The Toronto Star: Using search-engine optimization, the

I will not be a statistic! Um, unless theres's a discount ...

2009-10-20T13:00:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, I posted about a recent study from UPenn and UC Berkley that found nearly 70 of Americans oppose being tracked online by advertisers – among other findings.This past weekend, NPR’s “On the Media” featured a great interview Joseph Turow, lead author of the study and professor of communication at the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. In his

Scandalized by the Web ... or ... Shooting Yourself in the Foot

2009-10-19T16:00:00.003-04:00

Sometimes maintaining your online privacy is a matter of defending yourself against aggressive online marketers or unethical insurance companies. And sometimes it's just a matter of using some common sense.Via Switched: In the age of social media, college athletes have it rough. Unlike the pros, these undergrads aren't getting paid millions, but they're under just as much scrutiny. Sometimes,

Twitter Enters Unchartered Territory

2009-10-19T10:00:00.002-04:00

OK, so I’m not a gamer by any stretch. My gaming development basically stopped with Super Mario 3. Nevertheless, there’s a PS3 in my apartment, which threatens to take over my life.We just got Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, a ridiculously engaging action-adventure sequel to the 2007 issue of Uncharted: Drakes Fortune. Even if you have the faintest interest in video games, you owe it to yourself to

Paparazzi take a blow from the Terminator

2009-10-18T16:00:00.003-04:00

In a land where the online and offline worlds collide – and the lines between public, private, reality and fantasy have been blurred into oblivion – there has been an important step forward to protecting privacy both online and off.Last week, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a groundbreaking anti-paparazzi law that allows civil suits to be

NYT: Medical Records No Safer than Movie Rental Info

2009-10-18T09:00:00.004-04:00

What do Netflix and your health insurer have in common? More than you might think, according to an article in yesterday’s New York Times. For starters, both collect personal data about, like your name, address, phone number, credit information, payment history, purchase behavior and preferences. And both strip personally identifiable information from these records,

A Just Death: Act To Prevent Predatory Marketing Practices against Minors

2009-10-17T14:00:00.002-04:00

Claiming that it violated the First Amendment, companies like Yahoo!, AOL, eBay (disclosure: client), and News Corp. as well as the Association of National Advertisers, the Motion Picture Association of America and the civil liberties advocacy group Center for Democracy & Technology, yesterday convinced the Maine legislature to repeal an act designed to protect minors from aggressive data

PMs call for Increased Internet Privacy

2009-10-17T12:04:00.003-04:00

Last week, I posted about a recent move by Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) to introduce legislation that would provide Americans with greater online privacy protections. In a similar move, according to ComputerWeekly, Britain’s Prime Ministers called yesterday for a “Green Paper” to offer their citizens enhanced privacy protection both on and offline. Across borders, governments are

And we're back...

2009-10-17T11:33:00.005-04:00

Ok, so I took a quick birthday hiatus from posting, and then work went nuts. But now we're back on a regular posting schedule. Thanks for hanging in there!

Cloud Computing: A cautionary tale

2009-10-07T10:00:00.001-04:00

It was revealed last week that hackers had stolen sensitive account information from a major online payroll processing company to directly target its customers. PayChoice, a company that provides online payroll tools to over 125,000 organizations and back-end support to 250 other payroll companies, was breached. Hackers emailed PayChoices customers directly with

Into Thin Air

2009-10-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

It’s amazing how much trouble a click of a mouse can cause. In one click, you can send that poorly considered blazing email, or submit an ill-advised comment to a blog. Through that one click, you’re creating an indelible online record that can be tracked back to you forever. I think we’ve all probably been there. You’ve pounded out that angry email and hit send –

How much should the Government Control the Internet?

2009-10-05T15:00:00.001-04:00

Last week, the Associated Press explored the issue of how much the U.S. Government should control the Internet. Similar to how planes were ordered grounded after 9/11, should the President be able to hit the kill-switch on the Internet if there is a catastrophic online attack? According to the AP (lol), “At least 18 bills have been introduced as Congress works carefully to give federal

Online Privacy as a Generational Issue

2009-10-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

Despite what many people will tell you, more often we’re finding that online privacy is not a generational issue. Yesterday, I posted about a recent Annenberg-Berkley study that revealed more than half of people 18-24 object to targeted online advertising. Today, I will point you to a great article from Wired’s GeekDad, further exploring the generational issue:

Study: Americans Object to Online Tracking Government: OK, we’re on it

2009-10-04T21:00:00.000-04:00

Nearly 70 percent of Americans object being tracked online by advertisers, according to a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkley. According to the New York Times, this represents the first independent study on behavioral advertising – and the results were impressive: (Via NYT): Tailored ads in general did not appeal to 66 percent of

Google Execs Face Jail in Italy

2009-10-04T14:00:00.007-04:00

Apparently, Google isn’t watching you as closely as some people would like. Two senior executives from the search giant could face up to three years in prison if they’re convicted for violating Italian privacy laws. According to the BBC, the charges stem from a 2006 YouTube posting that shows an Italian primary school student with Downs Syndrome being bullied by four classmates with at

Riding the Wave

2009-09-30T11:00:00.001-04:00

Google is riding the wave of world domination with its next product launch ... uh ... Google Wave, which is billed as an online portal that blends email, instant messaging, social networking and workplace collaboration in a single application. Wave was first debuted in May, and according to C-Net is set to be rolled out to a much wider test audience today. Tech geeks apparently had

Obama's got his Head in the Clouds

2009-09-29T10:00:00.002-04:00

It’s a little startling, but I hardly know where any of my files are. I know how to get them, and I’m pretty confident they’re secure. But truly, I have no clue where much of my information is actually stored. My company just moved offices. Before we did, I sat near the company’s servers where all our digital files were saved. Now our servers are “off-site” – wherever that is – and everything is

Beacon of Hope

2009-09-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

So maybe Sean Lane got what he deserved having purchased his wife’s engagement ring on Overstock.com, but what was intended as a pure act of love became the hallmark example in what ultimately unraveled what Facebook saw as a viable advertising system. Lane, who’s internet privacy is now shot because of this incident, purchased a diamond ring for Shannon, his bride-to-be, on the high-volume

Google v. Skank

2009-09-27T09:00:00.003-04:00

While it’s easy to hide behind your keyboard in a veil of anonymity, the expectation of privacy may be a thing of the past. Last month, Google faced a subpoena to reveal the identity of an anonymous user of its Blogger service (i.e., the one I’m using now) posting to the blog “Skanks in NYC,” which has since been removed. The blogger, now identified as Rosemary Port, had called model

We Live in Public

2009-09-26T15:00:00.003-04:00

"Everyone wants fifteen minutes of fame every day. So we built a bunker and showed them the future.” – Joshua Harris In the early 90s, Joshua Harris was regarded as something of an internet sage, predicting – with striking accuracy – how the web would evolve over the coming decades. He predicted broadband internet access wouldn’t be available until the year 2000,

And for my Next Trick

2009-09-25T16:55:00.009-04:00

So picture this: Your job sucks, your over-worked, over-extended, under-paid, unappreciated and in debt up to your eyeballs. Your relationship is self-destructing and is quickly becoming toxic. You just want out. Now. We have all been there on some level. And as things are crumbling down on top of you, we think about how great it would be to just disappear, go totally off the grid and

Ten Unread Messages

2009-09-25T15:10:00.007-04:00

The other day, I opened up Gmail and Google told me I had 10 unread messages. But soon I realized that wasn’t quite accurate. They’ve all been read – just not by me. With the start of September comes the beginning of classes at Columbia University, as well as the stark realization that tuition is due. One of the 10 unread messages in my inbox was a friendly reminder from the bursar to