(CNN) -- It's a truth of the modern digital age: If you're using a Web service for free, you're not the customer. You're probably the product.
The sites we visit, the videos we watch, the purchases we make and the items we reward with a Facebook "like" or a Google "+1" -- all of that, and more, eventually melds together into a data set that lets many of the world's most popular Web companies get to know us better.
And they're using it to make billions of dollars.
But what if Web users could reclaim their online data and benefit, or maybe even profit, from it?
That's what a group of new startups want to happen. They say that instead of giving away data to tech titans who turn around and use it to target advertising, users should get something in return.
"I think what's happening now is that, finally, people are becoming aware of how their data's being used," said Shane Green, CEO of a company called Personal. "And in the future, they're not going to be just giving this stuff up."
With Personal, users can import data from sites like Facebook and LinkedIn and info like their Web-browsing histories and purchases to a secure "data vault." From there, they can pretty much add anything they want, from computer passwords to medical information to emergency contacts for the babysitter.
One feature even allows people to enter ID information like Social Security numbers, promising that they'll never have to spend time filling out an online form again.
From there, they choose who to share with, be it the aforementioned babysitter or co-workers or family members.
But Green sees a future in which they could choose to share it more publicly, in exchange for cash or other benefits.
So, for example, if someone had been searching websites to buy a particular make and model of car, they could choose to make that publicly known. Car dealers using the site could then theoretically send targeted deals or offers.
"We'd love to see it sort of filtered ... where you're commanding the best deals, the best discounts -- and even direct compensation -- for the chance to meet me this way," he said.
Intriguing, maybe. But is that just a way to invite digital junk mail?
"That couldn't be further from the vision we have," Green said. "The model that's going to emerge is one where people, in a much safer and more controlled environment, let some of their data filter out and decide what kind of people will be able to even reach them at all. And when they do, they won't know their identity."
The problem, at least so far, is that Web players like Google and Facebook are already getting a lot of that data for free.
"The killer app isn't here yet," William Hoffman, who is working on a data study for the World Economic Forum, told the New York Times. But he says that might soon change.
"I'm willing to bet that within the next 12 months, something big will catch on," he said.
Jason Cavnar's company, Singly, doesn't aim to one day earn users a direct payout. In fact, he says, it doesn't even need to combat the Web's current data-scraping model.
"The price of using free Web services shouldn't be our privacy. But until there are market solutions, I don't see that trend changing," he said. "What we're doing is more about actually making the data you create useful."
Like Personal, Singly lets users compile all their data in one place via a sort of data locker. (The Locker Project is its ongoing open-source effort to let developers change and improve it.) They cite some of the same convenience benefits of doing so that Personal does. (Both projects, it should be noted, are in their early phases.)
But what Singly has set out to do is let developers create hyper-personalized apps that would use that information.
"We're trying to create a new push for creativity, a new push for experiences," he said. "We're starting to see the power of personal apps, but there are not nearly enough of them.
"We want to make sure the creator has less of an engineering challenge to making your data awesome."
Green started Personal in 2009. At the time, he said, friends in the tech industry told him that it was folly, that he'd never convince many people to care about how their data is used online.
Fast-forward three years, and just a week's worth of headlines tell a different story. Members of Congress and dozens of state attorneys have publicly questioned Google's new privacy policy, which will pull data from its many products into one user profile.
President Barack Obama unveiled an online bill of rights aimed at protecting users' privacy on the Web and says legislation could be next.
And on Facebook, which has been no stranger to data-sharing controversy, some users are bracing for a change to the Timeline feature that they fear will make their past activity too easy for others to find.
"I think that it's a perfect moment now," Green said. "I think there's a whole perfect storm happening for companies like ours."
For older Web users, he said, the fear was always that someone was tracking them online and could do something harmful with the information. Now, more often than not, users resent the fact that billions of dollars are being made on information they're giving away for free.
"It's not even about the money any more," he said. "It's about the principle. I think that's the emotional vein that people are tapped into right now."
Comment
I think its a good idea that if we put information of us, in a social network like facebook or twitter, we should have something in return. The people that work in the social networks need information from us so we have to make them pay for it.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
More than 300 killed in Honduras prison fire
Tegucigalpa, Honduras (CNN) -- More than 300 inmates were killed in a prison fire in central Honduras, officials said Wednesday, as families clamored to learn whether their loved ones were among the victims.
The fire was one of the worst tragedies of its kind in decades in Latin America and focused renewed attention on the often poor conditions of prisons in the region.
Authorities offered differing reports of how many prisoners died in the fire. Honduran government officials said more than 300 inmates were killed, while the National Human Rights Commission said as many as 356 inmates were unaccounted for and may have died.
Forensic teams removed more than 150 bodies from the facility by Wednesday evening.
"Everyone ran for their lives," said one survivor who spoke briefly to local television cameras.
Prisoners awakened to the screams of fellow inmates and forced themselves out of the prison any way they could, he said.
Authorities were investigating what caused the blaze, which broke out late Tuesday in a minimum-security prison in Comayagua, Honduras, about 40 miles northwest of the capital, Tegucigalpa.
"This is a day of deep pain for Honduras," Honduran President Porfirio Lobo said in an address to the nation.
He announced the suspension of the Comayagua prison administrators and the entire prison chain of command up to the national level.
"We are going to review the conditions in all the penitentiary centers to see how we can improve the overcrowding conditions that exist in many of our prisons," Lobo said.
The prison was built to house 250 inmates, but 852 inmates were behind bars there at the time of the fire, the Honduran National Human Rights Commission said in a statement.
Five of the prison's units -- more than half of the facility -- were affected by the fire, said Jose Turcios, a spokesman for the Comayagua fire department.
The country's prison commissioner said authorities were looking into whether a short circuit sparked the fire or if a prisoner set a mattress alight.
Authorities have not determined what caused the fire, but the nation's electric utility will review wiring in all prison facilities as a "preventative measure," Lobo said, "because that can be one of the causes of these types of disasters."
Before dawn Wednesday, families of the prisoners gathered in front of the prison gates and authorities' offices, demanding to know if their loved ones were among the survivors.
Hundreds of relatives pressed against the gates as an official read aloud the survivors' names.
"I understand the worry and demands of the people, but we have to abide by the law," said Pompeyo Bonilla, the country's minister of security. "We have the best intention to give answers to the families as soon as possible."
The president said Chile was sending forensics experts to Honduras to help with identification.
It was the third fatal prison fire in recent years. In 2003, 61 prisoners were killed in a fire at a prison in La Ceiba. In 2004, 107 died in a fire at a San Pedro Sula prison.
The U.S. State Department published a report last April painting a damning portrait of conditions in Honduras' 24 prisons.
Prisoners "suffered from severe overcrowding, malnutrition, and lack of adequate sanitation," the report said, citing human rights groups.
"Authorities did not provide adequate food or other basic necessities. The ready access of prisoners to weapons and other contraband, impunity for inmate attacks on nonviolent prisoners, inmate escapes, and inmate threats against prison officials and their families contributed to an unstable and dangerous penitentiary system environment," the department said in its 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
Human rights groups also alleged that prison officials used excessive force against prisoners, the State Department said.
As of December 2010, the total prison population in the country was just under 12,000, about 400 of whom were women, the report said.
Honduran officials told CNN that overcrowding in the country's prisons is the result of an increase in transnational organized crime.
Honduras, and the world, will have to decide how to respond to the security crisis in the poor nation, Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales said.
"We do not produce drugs, nor are we the main place where they are consumed. But we suffer from the scourge of the extreme increase in violence in our country because of drug trafficking," he said.
Danilo Orellana, the director of prisons in Honduras, added that the prisons in general were in crisis.
"The situation is grave, and we have said on many occasions that the prisons in the country are failing and that investments are necessary from the state," he said.
Commentary:
I think the hole incident was caused by the prisioners. This could be a plan to escape from the prision and kill the guards with the fire. I think that Honduras should control more what the prisioners do.
The fire was one of the worst tragedies of its kind in decades in Latin America and focused renewed attention on the often poor conditions of prisons in the region.
Authorities offered differing reports of how many prisoners died in the fire. Honduran government officials said more than 300 inmates were killed, while the National Human Rights Commission said as many as 356 inmates were unaccounted for and may have died.
Forensic teams removed more than 150 bodies from the facility by Wednesday evening.
"Everyone ran for their lives," said one survivor who spoke briefly to local television cameras.
Prisoners awakened to the screams of fellow inmates and forced themselves out of the prison any way they could, he said.
Authorities were investigating what caused the blaze, which broke out late Tuesday in a minimum-security prison in Comayagua, Honduras, about 40 miles northwest of the capital, Tegucigalpa.
"This is a day of deep pain for Honduras," Honduran President Porfirio Lobo said in an address to the nation.
He announced the suspension of the Comayagua prison administrators and the entire prison chain of command up to the national level.
"We are going to review the conditions in all the penitentiary centers to see how we can improve the overcrowding conditions that exist in many of our prisons," Lobo said.
The prison was built to house 250 inmates, but 852 inmates were behind bars there at the time of the fire, the Honduran National Human Rights Commission said in a statement.
Five of the prison's units -- more than half of the facility -- were affected by the fire, said Jose Turcios, a spokesman for the Comayagua fire department.
The country's prison commissioner said authorities were looking into whether a short circuit sparked the fire or if a prisoner set a mattress alight.
Authorities have not determined what caused the fire, but the nation's electric utility will review wiring in all prison facilities as a "preventative measure," Lobo said, "because that can be one of the causes of these types of disasters."
Before dawn Wednesday, families of the prisoners gathered in front of the prison gates and authorities' offices, demanding to know if their loved ones were among the survivors.
Hundreds of relatives pressed against the gates as an official read aloud the survivors' names.
"I understand the worry and demands of the people, but we have to abide by the law," said Pompeyo Bonilla, the country's minister of security. "We have the best intention to give answers to the families as soon as possible."
The president said Chile was sending forensics experts to Honduras to help with identification.
It was the third fatal prison fire in recent years. In 2003, 61 prisoners were killed in a fire at a prison in La Ceiba. In 2004, 107 died in a fire at a San Pedro Sula prison.
The U.S. State Department published a report last April painting a damning portrait of conditions in Honduras' 24 prisons.
Prisoners "suffered from severe overcrowding, malnutrition, and lack of adequate sanitation," the report said, citing human rights groups.
"Authorities did not provide adequate food or other basic necessities. The ready access of prisoners to weapons and other contraband, impunity for inmate attacks on nonviolent prisoners, inmate escapes, and inmate threats against prison officials and their families contributed to an unstable and dangerous penitentiary system environment," the department said in its 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
Human rights groups also alleged that prison officials used excessive force against prisoners, the State Department said.
As of December 2010, the total prison population in the country was just under 12,000, about 400 of whom were women, the report said.
Honduran officials told CNN that overcrowding in the country's prisons is the result of an increase in transnational organized crime.
Honduras, and the world, will have to decide how to respond to the security crisis in the poor nation, Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales said.
"We do not produce drugs, nor are we the main place where they are consumed. But we suffer from the scourge of the extreme increase in violence in our country because of drug trafficking," he said.
Danilo Orellana, the director of prisons in Honduras, added that the prisons in general were in crisis.
"The situation is grave, and we have said on many occasions that the prisons in the country are failing and that investments are necessary from the state," he said.
Commentary:
I think the hole incident was caused by the prisioners. This could be a plan to escape from the prision and kill the guards with the fire. I think that Honduras should control more what the prisioners do.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
s a 'nudge' in the right direction all we need to be greener?
s a 'nudge' in the right direction all we need to be greener?
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- "Nudging" is a way of influencing behavior without using force or incentives
- Idea is being tested as method to encourage better consideration of environment
- Techniques include subliminal visual cues and exploiting herd mentality
- Some argue "nudging" is infringement on freedom, others say it does not go far enough
(CNN) -- What's the best way of encouraging men to pee more accurately in public urinals? Answer: Give them a target.
That's what a maintenance man working at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport suggested: Etch an image of a house fly on the urinals to give men something to aim at. Overnight, the quantity of misdirected urine fell by about 80%, according to the airport.
The painted fly is an example of a "nudge" -- a subtle way of influencing behavior without offering material incentives or imposing punishments.
"Normally, if a government, employer or even parent wants to promote a certain type of conduct, they introduce rules, offer a financial reward or both," says economist Richard Thaler who, alongside fellow academic Cass Sunstein, popularized the concept of "nudging."
Subliminal sway
Whether we're conscious of them or not, nudges -- of a sort -- are all around us. From the rumble strip along motorways -- gently encouraging motorists to remain in the correct lane -- to rows of brightly colored candy wrappers, less subtly inviting us to pick them up and place them in our shopping cart.
The whole idea is that we don't force anyone to do anything ... it's about helping people make the right choices to reach their own objectives
Richard Thaler
Richard Thaler
Such subliminal influences are nothing new. But Thaler and Sunstein argue that they have the potential to be harnessed on a much grander scale -- and for the collective good.
"Just imagine if your surroundings were arranged to help you make better decisions to achieve your goals," says Thaler.
The question is, could we be "nudged" into better, more sustainable practices that help the environment?
How bad habits start
Much of our behavior is habitual, says Pelle Hansen, behavioral philosopher at the University of Southern Denmark and chairman of the Danish Nudging Network. "We have long showers, leave appliances turned on and throw away rubbish as part of daily routines that involve little thought."
Some of this automatic behavior is not even in our own long-term interests, let alone the planet's. Hansen points out that dropping litter, for instance, obviously degrades the quality of the shared environment while leaving lights on costs us money.
So why do we do it? The problem is that once a pattern of behavior has formed, it's difficult to break, especially if the negative repercussions are not experienced immediately, says Professor Robert Cialdini, psychologist and author of "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion."
"Our brains are designed to go into autopilot once we've established a routine that works for us. This is useful because it frees us up to think about things other than day-to-day tasks. But it's also unhelpful if the behavior has negative, albeit not immediately felt, consequences," he adds.
This is where "nudging" could help.
Visual cues
In a study conducted by Hansen's nudging network in Copenhagen, 1,000 caramel sweets were handed out to passing pedestrians. All the nearby streets, including garbage cans, ashtrays, bicycle baskets and so on, were then examined for the distinctive empty wrappers, and duly counted.
The process was repeated, but on this occasion a prominent trail of green footsteps leading up to the nearby bins was stenciled on the ground. This led to a 46% decrease in the total quantity of littered caramel papers (just under 70% of the original total were unaccounted for in both settings), according to the study.
"The green footsteps certainly caught people's attention," says Hansen. "I think they create an atmosphere where the public feel more conscious about litter ... and perhaps there is also a subconscious inclination to follow the feet."
Hansen's remarks echo findings from a recent trial at an office block in Amsterdam which was designed to encourage visitors to take the stairs rather than the power-hungry elevators.
Beginning at the lobby entrance, members of Dutch environmentalNGO Hivos lay a series of bright red strips along the floor leading up the stairs. The frequency of people entering the building who opted to take the stairs leapt by 70% during the 24-hour sample period that followed.
"There are a number of forces at play," says Thaler. "Curiosity, novelty and the snowball effect when you see loads of other people suddenly using the staircase."
Policy nudge?
In the UK, nudge theory has been embraced by senior members of the coalition government, who set up the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) -- popularly known as the "Nudge Unit" -- to research how it could be implemented shortly after coming into office in 2010.
They create an atmosphere where the public feel more conscious about litter
Pelle Hansen, behavioural philosopher
Pelle Hansen, behavioural philosopher
"Nudges appeal to policy makers because they generally don't require huge investments and yet have the potential to make a big impact," says David Halpern, director of BIT.
In its first annual report, released towards the end of last year, the team suggested a range of nudges that could be implemented in the UK. These include the removal of alcohol from conspicuous displays in supermarkets (to discourage excessive drinking) and making residents more aware of how much energy others are consuming.
Knowing how other people behave is often a potent determinant of our own actions. Energy bills that inform users of how they compare with those on the same street or neighborhood are currently being trialled in parts of the UK, says Halpern.
"When you get a bill with a long list of numbers, it's unlikely to mean very much to you. But if you see you're using much more than your next door neighbor, let's say, it suddenly becomes personal."
According to Cialdini, we humans are hardwired to fall in line with the behavior and attitudes of our immediate peers, and so nudges that exploit this trait are likely to succeed.
"MSRI scans in the lab have revealed that when people are led to believe that their opinions differ from the majority of their contemporaries, it activates the pain center of the brain ... so we have a very real incentive to keep in sync with those around us."
But, for some, nudges alone will never be enough. Hannah Kyrke-Smith is a policy adviser for the UK's Green Alliance. She says the problem is less the idea itself and more the policy implications.
"The (UK) government has made quite some noise about the potential of green nudging, but by itself it will never be enough. You can't nudge people towards fully sustainable living, you can't replace regulation ... it needs to form part of a mix of policy tools," she says.
my opinion
i think that in a time we would nedd to use other things undersid the paper and we would have to dont demolish the trees
Monday, February 6, 2012
Lance Edward Armstrong, born on September
18, 1971 that is a professional Road racing cyclist. The best achievements are
that he won seven times the Tour of
France. After having survived testicular cancer, he founder and chairman of the
Lance Armstrong foundation for cancer research and support.
In October 1996, the aged , Armstrong was
diagnose as having developed stage three
testicular cancer. Armstrong announced on September 9 that would return
after talking my children. The Lance
Armstrong sponsors are RADIOSHACK. I admire because he doesn’t give aout.
Nick names: The boss, Juan pelota, The Texan.
Weight: 71 Kg
Heigh t: 1.77 m.
ZINADINE ZIDANE
Zinadine Yazid Zidane nació en Marsella, Francia el 23 el 23 de Junio de 1972. Sus padres Ismaile y Malikal eran del pueblo de Aguemone, en la Cabalia, Argelia, quienes emigraron a Paris y luego a Marsella en 1953, un año antes de que comenzara la guerra de Argelia. Fue el más joven de cinco hijos: Djamel, Farid, Nourredine y Lila, que crecieron en La Castellane, un complejo de viviendas patrocinado por el gobierno, en los suburbios del norte de la ciudad (el Quartier Nord). Desde muy pequeño sintió afición por el bádminton. A los seis años empezó a practicar el judo. Pocos años después acudía al estadio de Marsella, y se volvió admirador del futbolista uruguayo Enzo Francescoli.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento "Pele"
Was borned in Três
Corações, Brasil, on October 21 first 1940. Son of Flumiense footballer Dondinho and Dona Celeste
Arantes. He was the oldest of two siblings.
He is the most
famous and best soccer player in the world. When he started playing soccer, he
was rejected by most of the soccer clubs in his country, until “Los Santos “ accepted
him.
On 21 February
1966, Pelé married Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi. He has two daughters Kelly
Cristina (13 January 1967) who married Dr. Arthur DeLuca, and Jennifer (1978),
as well as a son Edson ("Edinho" – little Edson, 27 August
1970). The couple divorced in 1982.
His first match
in the World Cup was against the USSR in 1958, He was the youngest player of
that tournament, and at the time the youngest ever to play in the World Cup. He
also competed in world cups in 1962, 1966 and 1970.
Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong was born on September 18, 1971 in Texas. His mother is Linda Mooneyham and Eddie Charles Gunderson. At the age of 12 he began his sporting career as a swimmer at the city Plano swim club. He abandoned swimming competition after seeing a poster for a junior thriatlon called the iron kids thriatlon, which he entered and won at the age of 13. The best stage of the thriatlon for him was the cycling part. The bicycle becomed his greates talent after winning the Amateur U.S race championship in 1991. Representing U.S in the summer olympics he finished 14th. This performance earned him his first proffesional contract with motorola. On october 2, 1996, then aged 25, Armstrong was diagnosed as having developed stage three testicular cancer. The cancer spread to his lungs, abdomen and brain. His cancer went into complete remission, and by January 1998 he was already engaged in serious training for racing. Before his cancer treatment, Armstrong had won two Tour de France stages. In 1993, he won the 8th stage and in 1995 he took 18 in honor of teammate Fabio Casartelli. Armstrong announced announced on september 9, 2008 that he would return to pro cycling.
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