Category: News

Should employers ban access to social networking sites like Facebook at work? If you look at the potential security risks alone, the answer would be resounding yes for most enterprises. Aside from the security risk, there’s the huge hit that social networking has had on employee productivity. One estimate — from IT consulting company Morse — figures employee use of social-networking sites cost employers $2.25 billion a year in lost productivity.

Yet even with the productivity and security challenges caused by social media, there is no still easy answer to the Facebook ban question. There are, however, plenty of opinions and guidelines that can help your company make a sound decision around the use of social networking from 9 to 5.

First, it helps to consider how other small businesses as well CIOs at large companies are handling the social-networking phenomenon. More than half of CIOs in a Robert Half Technology survey said their firms don’t allow employees to visit social-networking sites for any reason while at work.

“Using social-networking sites may divert employees’ attention away from more pressing priorities, so it’s understandable that some companies limit access,” said Dave Willmer, executive director of Robert Half Technology. “For some professions, however, these sites can be leveraged as effective business tools, which may be why about one in five companies allows their use for work-related purposes.”

The Case for At-Work Facebooking

Public-relations and marketing firms — or PR and marketing divisions within larger enterprises — are among those who believe employees should be able to update their Facebook status at work.

As a PR firm, social media is a way of life for HMA Public Relations. Abbie Fink, vice president and general manager of the firm, said social networking is a critical component of how the company does business. In fact, she added, clients expect the…

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The world is finally waking up to the full implications of Google’s business, and they’re not all pretty.

Leading the rebellion is News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch, who is threatening to keep his newspaper content beyond the reach of Google searches. Murdoch wants to keep Google from reaping so many of the financial benefits of advertising placed adjacent to News Corp. content. He’s being aided and abetted by Microsoft.

In a scenario under consideration, Microsoft would pay News Corp. for making articles from The Wall Street Journal and other Murdoch-owned publications searchable exclusively through Microsoft’s Bing search engine. If the effort encourages other powerful content providers to demand compensation from Internet companies that generate revenue from online ads, the Murdoch-Microsoft partnership could create a big problem for Google.

Search is not Microsoft’s core business, but it generates a lot of tech industry revenue — and funds Google, Microsoft’s No. 1 competitor. So the best play for Microsoft in the Web search market could be to diminish the revenue stream for everyone involved. If Microsoft could reduce the overall market value of Web searches, it could protect its own software revenue while hurting Google.

Changing the Economics of Search

Blogger and entrepreneur Jason Calacanis recently suggested a strategy whereby Microsoft could gain search market share by paying content providers more than they’re getting from search referrals.

Google’s threat to Microsoft and other software and telecom companies is manifold. Google is competing not only in search engine software, but also in mobile phone services, personal navigation, and operating systems.

In concept, it wouldn’t be especially difficult for Microsoft to change the economics of the Web search market, as long as the company can tolerate losses. Microsoft could take advertising revenue generated by Bing and pass it along to media providers, in return for exclusive arrangements to make their content…

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Isahrai Azaria is heading to Austin, Texas, in February, and thanks to Facebook, she already has 40 acquaintances, an invitation to go water tubing, and a line on the best vegetarian lunch place in town.

“It’s been unbelievable,” said Azaria, a singer who lives in San Francisco. “It was just a quick post on Facebook, but one of my Facebook friends is friends with some people in Austin,” and those friends sent her tips on everything from yoga studios to local bus service.

Social media is changing the way people travel. It’s replacing recommendations from experts and strangers with a targeted selection of information from acquaintances and their networks.

“Social media and travel are a perfect fit, because they both are built around this idea of sharing experiences and storytelling,” said Mary Madden, a senior researcher at the Pew Internet and American Life Project in Washington, D.C. “Content, whether that’s a blog post about your favorite restaurant or the story from your latest trip to Greece and photos of that trip, is a form of social currency that you share with other people who frequent your social media space.”

Travelers have used the Internet for years to find hotels, restaurants and other attractions. Some Web sites offer recommendations from guidebook writers, critics and other experts, while others — like TripAdvisor.com, Yelp and Chowhound — offer feedback from individuals about their personal experiences. But credibility can be an issue. A good review could be written by the business owners themselves or their friends, while bad reviews could come from their competitors. A destination Web site might only list businesses that pay to be featured.

In contrast, a recommendation from a Facebook connection or your Twitter feed may feel more trustworthy and less random than something you stumble across on a Web site — even when the…

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If you’re employed right now, chances are that each day you’re fighting to keep your job and praying you don’t get axed. Working normal hours and meeting job requirements isn’t enough anymore. You have to stand out, offer something extra. In these uncertain times, you need to demonstrate your value — or else you become replaceable.

It may be difficult to stay motivated — 40% of the U.S. workforce isn’t, according to CareerBuilder.com. Motivation stems from handling tasks that challenge you, making you passionate about your work activities. Hard work, results, and positive energy come from a motivated worker.

Figure out how you can provide value to your boss and the overall organization, and then find ways to make it a habit every single day. The more valuable you become, the more leverage you will have in negotiating a higher salary and the larger your protective shield will be when layoffs occur.

Here are some tips to get yourself some job security:

1. Think outside your cubicle.

Aside from fulfilling your job requirements, go the extra mile and become a consultant for other groups inside your company. You might not have thought of yourself as a consultant previously, but in today’s work environment the focus is on measurable results from projects instead of your job description. Projects give you access to new resources and open up networking opportunities, which can turn you into a more productive worker in the long term and make you an attractive job candidate to other groups in case you’re laid off.

2. Gain transferable skills now.

You can become invaluable at work if you learn new skills and techniques that apply across multiple business functions. For example, if you understand the business value of social media and how to harness its power across customer support, marketing, and recruitment, you become…

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Paper of the day:

Computational Complexity and Information Asymmetry in Financial Products Arora, et al.

via Felix. Interesting passage from his commentary:

…the solution to model risk isn’t more complex models, its less reliance on models altogether. And anybody who applied a simple smell test to the mortgages underlying the CDOs in question — rather than deciding instead to trust various quants both in-house and at the ratings agencies — would have come to the right conclusion without any computing power at all.

In other words, strategic thinking beats statistical thinking here too.

There’s been plenty of anecdotal stories thrown around about how Facebook impacts relationships. You see stories of breakups exacerbated by Facebook, or jealousies created due to Facebook, but how prevalent is it really? According to one UK law firm, they went through recent divorce petitions and found around 20% of them cited Facebook in some manner. While the article goes into the ridiculousness department by suggesting this means that Facebook is “fueling” divorce (rather than recognizing it’s probably just a symptom), it seems likely that if a marriage is heading for divorce anyway, it isn’t that surprising that some of the evidence might come from Facebook. But that doesn’t mean that the site is to blame. In fact, hidden all the way at the bottom of the article is the rather relevant fact that the divorce rate in the UK has been falling recently, just as the popularity of Facebook has shot upwards. It seems like you’d have to suggest a lot more to prove that Facebook is to blame for these divorces, rather than just an additional element in the proceedings.

I also wonder if there’s a bit of a generational thing going on here. I would guess that those who have grown up with Facebook probably won’t be as freaked out to find out that someone is still friends with an ex-. There will always be some aspect of jealousy, of course (especially among young people), but we’re reaching an era when it’s no longer that strange to stay in at least some form of contact with lots of people you meet. The older you are, the more used to losing touch with people you are, and thus a reconnection seems like a bigger deal than it might be to groups of people who have remained in touch constantly.

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Call them disabilities, differently-abled, or whatever you like; if you have a child that has a physical difference of some sort eventually you will have to deal with it.

My son Sean was born with Unilateral Microtia. That is a very large term which simply means he has only one working ear, the other is almost not there. I didn’t do anything to cause it, as far as I know it doesn’t run in the family, but there it is…and I see it every time I look at my son.

It took me a long time to get over the feeling of guilt. Maybe I didn’t eat right. Maybe I didn’t eat enough organics. The conclusion that I finally came to was maybe I did everything right and it just happened.  Sean’s unilateral microtia means that he is deaf in one ear. His ear, what there is of it looks funny”. And as much as I want to beat up every kid that teases him I can’t.

We have been lucky. I homeschool him and the kids at our church are a pretty accepting lot. Once in awhile someone teases him about it but it is usually a new kid showing off, and it is rare. Sean handles it well. He just tells people that is the way God made him. Period.

There is surgery available to him but it is something I want him to decide for himself. It is a long and involved surgery, painful healing times, and I am not sure that a well adjusted 11 year old needs it. I feel it should be his choice when he is old enough to decide.  We have encouraged him to accept himself the way he is and accept that sometimes other people will disdain him because of his ear. He is o.k. with that.

He has learned to be open with others. If he is in a church situation like Sunday School he knows to tell the teacher if he is having trouble hearing.  For a short time he tried to get out of doing his chores with the “Sorry, mom, I didn’t hear you” card. I figured that out really quick and I make sure he is looking at me when I speak to him. He gets cut no slack for not hearing me.

Accepting a difference of any sort is just that. It is accepting that there is a difference and that you will have to work around that difference. Pretending it doesn’t exist or giving it too much attention are not healthy ways to deal with it. Do you have a child that has a physical difference? How do you handle it when it comes to other kids and social situations?

image: marye audet

Post from: Blisstree

Handling Your Child’s Disabilities

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Legislation that could bring more wind turbines and solar power projects to Indiana has a good chance of passing in the upcoming legislative session after failing in the last session’s closing hours, two state lawmakers say. While …

Wembé makes exfoliating soaps from 100% natural and organic rainforest ingredients in Paraguay. The soaps’ exfoliating properties help unclog pores and keep facial skin looking healthy and clear. The company’s name is “given by a Guarani tribe to a tropical plant considered as the Amazon’s rare jewels”.

Our Vision

Nature compliments the human soul and envelops it with health beauty and happiness.

Our Mission
To satiate the human thirst for nature; infusing our products with the purest ingredients from natural sources, certified organic when possible, using our knowledge of the power of the rainforest plants and fruits and the magic of aromatherapy, respecting our environment. Helping our community and always respect other beings.

This facial soap smells absolutely wonderful, and it can also be used as a shampoo.  From Yerba Mate to Black Clay, you are sure to find a blend that you enjoy.

Disclosure: I was sent a free sample of this product to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative

Brian Sweeney, the third head of Buick-GMC in a month, is carrying on the torch from his predecessors as he looks to attract younger buyers to the Buick brand.

“Buick’s an older person’s vehicle,” says Sweeney. “What can we do to reverse that?” He says the issue poses his greatest challenge at GM.

According to Craig Bierley, Buick’s product marketing director, ”younger” doesn’t mean people in their 20s or 30s. Younger to Bierely and Sweeney means people in their 40s and 50s. Currently, the average age of a Buick shopper is 70 while the average age of a U.S. car buyer is 52.

Bierley said he is chancing that a third of the buyers of the 2010 LaCrosse are 55 or younger. Sweeney says he is counting on the 2011 Regal sedan to bring in more young buyers.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Everybody knows that famous TV personality Jay Leno has a soft spot for cars, whether we’re talking about steamers or the latest supercar. He likes new cars as much as he likes old ones. So the famous TV host decided to combine the retro design with state of the art technology.

The retro design will be provided with the help of Jay’s 1968-1972 300SEL 6.3, a model was first introduced at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show. This was the product of one of Mercedes-Benz’s engineers who took t… (read more)

Congress and the White House have set their sights on plugging the “doughnut hole,” the gap in Medicare drug coverage that can leave seniors liable for thousands of dollars a year in prescription costs. Bridging the gap might be easier if there were more data on how big the hole was and its closing costs down the road.

The Congressional Budget Office, the usual scorekeeper for tracking federal spending, hasn’t predicted how much it would cost to close the doughnut hole, a Washington Post article notes this morning. The paper says the only estimate of the cost of filling the gap comes from the Medicare program’s chief actuary, who put the figure at $31 billion over the next decade. There aren’t any budget forecasts going far enough into the future to predict what expanded drug benefit would cost the government once the gap is fully closed, the Post adds.

The House overhaul bill passed in November would gradually eliminate the doughnut hole over 10 years starting with adding $500 to cover drug costs covered by Medicare in 2010. The health overhaul passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve is missing that language, but Senate Leader Harry Reid said this month he wanted to adopt the House goal of closing the coverage gap in the final version of the legislation that Congress sends to President Obama for signing.

Drug makers said earlier this year they would offer a 50% discount on brand name drugs purchased by seniors in the doughnut hole. That’s part of the drug industry’s deal with Democrats to contribute $80 million over 10 years to the cost of the health overhaul. Here’s more on that.

Meanwhile, CBO did do a study in August on how plugging the doughnut hole would reduce what seniors’ total spending on prescription drugs but their Medicare premiums would increase. That study is detailed here.

Photo by Salim Virji via Flickr

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Chevrolet, GMC

General Motors’ hot selling new Theta platform crossovers, the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and 2010 GMC Terrain, face their first recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that GM will recall some 59,031 units of the popular CUVs due to a potential problem in the HVAC system.

According to NHTSA, an unspecified fault in the system’s software programming can render the heating, air conditioning, defroster, radio control, and panel backlighting to be rendered inoperative. Without proper defrosting and defogging capabilities, visibility can be diminished, increasing the possibility of a crash. (Presumably, you all can drive safely without use of the tunes)

In any case, beginning in January, Chevrolet and GMC dealers will be instructed to replace the computer modules in the center console to repair the problem. If you’re an owner of one of these crossovers, click through to the jump for instructions on how to contact Chevrolet or GMC for further information.

Photos by John Neff / Copyright (C)2009 Weblogs, Inc.

Photos by Jonathon Ramsey / (C)2009 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]

Continue reading GM recalling 59,000 2010 Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain CUVs over faulty defrosters

GM recalling 59,000 2010 Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain CUVs over faulty defrosters originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In winter times, it’s practically an understatement to say that most of us find it difficult to wake up from our warm beds and trade our much-needed comfort in the early hours of the morning for a cold, freezing experience inside the car you’re about to drive to work. Let’s face it, it’s complete nightmare to get out of bed, look out the window, see the icing cold temperatures outside and imagine yourself walking down the alley and into your frozen car.

However, with the after mar… (read more)

Check out this heartwarming story by The Boston Globe about Ray Ray, an infant who–after spending his first five months of life at Children’s Hospital Boston–was able to finally go home for the holidays.

Another family is counting their holiday blessings this year. Read this incredible story by The Boston Herald about how after a labor-intensive 13 hours, one mom gave birth to a stillborn daughter while her husband suffered a ruptured aneurysm just steps from the ER. Both survive in this amazing story.

Thanks to a Children’s Facebook fan — we were alerted to this amazing WBZ story, aired two years ago, about how these twins’ lives were saved by surgery before they were even born.

A sad New Year's for cap and trade?

Cap and trade has no chance in 2010, Senate Democrats are saying.

At this point in our democracy’s media evolution, it seems almost churlish to point this out, but here goes: 2009 isn’t even over yet, so it feels a bit premature to rule things out for next year.

But Politico has quoted Sens. Mary Landrieu, (D-La.), and Evan Bayh, (D-Ind.), as saying that a climate change bill will not pass next year. Democratic senators already have too much on their plates with health care and the economy and they’re desperate not to further alienate voters.

Kent Conrad, D-(N.D.), put it most succinctly:

Climate change in an election year has very poor prospects. I’ve told that to the leadership.

We have two thoughts on this:

Lisa Lerer’s story seems to conflate climate bill with cap and trade at some points in her story, but at other times, she separates the two concepts.

But not all climate bills have cap and trade provisions and the concept is so malleable that its easy to slightly alter its form and call it something else (see the “public option” debate in health care).

For example, Sen. Maria Cantwell, (D-Wash.), and Susan Collins, (R-Maine), have put forward a cap and dividend bill that would return revenue from emissions auctions directly to consumers.

And the tri-partisan group of Lindsey Graham, (R-S.C.), Joseph Lieberman, (I-Conn.), and John Kerry, (D-Mass.), have offered the vague outlines of a climate change bill.

Which leads us to our second point,

There’s reason to think that the views of “moderate” Democrats won’t carry the day in this debate, as they did in health care. Graham has said he can attract Republican votes for a measure and some of the aforementioned collaborations suggest that there’s a reasonable chance of that happening.

Of course, it is possible that a climate bill will have to wait until 2011. But not because Mary Landrieu says so.

Photo Credit: Adam.J.W.C./Wikimedia Commons