Category: News

As we’ve noted in the past, there really is no such thing as an anonymized dataset. There are almost always ways to reconnect at least some of the data to individuals. Now, when it comes to movie rental data, that’s especially problematic, due to the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), 18 USC 2710, a special law that was passed after Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork ran into some trouble when his movie rental lists were made public. Last year, Blockbuster and Facebook ran into some trouble over this law, due to Facebook’s disastrous “Beacon” offering, that often displayed your Blockbuster rentals. But, what about the famous Netflix prize? After all, that was based on a big “anonymous” set of data. Back in September, we noted that there was some serious concern about privacy associated with that data… and that meant it was only a matter of time until the lawsuit was filed.

Apparently the same lawyer who brought the lawsuit over the Facebook/Blockbuster Beacon snafu has sued Netflix over its contest. It is, of course, a class action lawsuit, filed initially on behalf of an “in-the-closet lesbian mother” who claims that her video rental info was included in the anonymous data, and that it could be used to “out” her. While I agree that the data likely wasn’t very anonymous, this lawsuit does seem like something of a stretch, in the typical class action format of a lawyer reaching pretty far in hopes of getting a big payout. I do have concerns about Netflix releasing a big dataset, but this lawsuit is just a pure moneygrab.

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John Yoo, law professor and notorious former Deputy Attorney General in Office of Legal Counsel (“OLC”), is a sleazebag attorney. As the Bush Administration’s de facto head of war-on-terrorism legal issues, Yoo penned a series of memoranda that legally justified torture at places like Guantanamo Bay. Because of his unconscionable advice, some liberal commentators have proclaimed that Yoo himself should be criminally prosecuted and locked up in prison. I disagree. Though, in my humble opinion, Yoo can go fumigate himself, I still do not advocate prison time as punishment for his sins.

Don’t get me wrong. In politics, I lean left and believe wholeheartedly in human rights. I therefore detest Yoo’s OLC opinions. I do not defend, for example, his view that inflicting pain during interrogation is perfectly legal up until the point where the physical pain is “equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death.” Though dressed up as legal analysis, this garbage really mocks the rule of law. So why am I against criminal prosecution and incarceration?

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John Yoo, law professor and notorious former Deputy Attorney General in Office of Legal Counsel (“OLC”), is a sleazebag attorney. As the Bush Administration’s de facto head of war-on-terrorism legal issues, Yoo penned a series of memoranda that legally justified torture at places like Guantanamo Bay. Because of his unconscionable advice, some liberal commentators have proclaimed that Yoo himself should be criminally prosecuted and locked up in prison. I disagree. Though, in my humble opinion, Yoo can go fumigate himself, I still do not advocate prison time as punishment for his sins.

Don’t get me wrong. In politics, I lean left and believe wholeheartedly in human rights. I therefore detest Yoo’s OLC opinions. I do not defend, for example, his view that inflicting pain during interrogation is perfectly legal up until the point where the physical pain is “equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death.” Though dressed up as legal analysis, this garbage really mocks the rule of law. So why am I against criminal prosecution and incarceration?

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Gold just broke below $1,100 once again a few minutes back, though has managed to struggle back up. Let’s see if it happens again today.

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See Also:

• Gold Weakness Wipes Out Six Months Of Gains At The Miners
• Everyone Is Still Massively Long Gold
• CIBC: There Is No Gold Bubble, Diversification And A Mining Shortage Will Push It To $1400

Goldman believes they have found a way to take advantage of market inefficiencies caused by corporate stock buyback programs.

Essentially, sell over-valued puts for companies you like, that are also likely to buy back their stock.

If you sell puts that are only slightly out of the money, then due to volatility there's a good chance you'll end up owning the underlying shares, for a cheaper price than if you had bought them outright.

Barron's: The study, authored by Anthony Carpet, Laura Conigliaro, Robert Boroujerdi, Maria Grant and Deep Mehta, concludes that selling puts is an attractive way to buy stock, or increase exposure, to companies with large buyback programs.

They found buyback programs potentially reduce the implied volatility of put options. And that may have broader implications for options volatility, which is the most important part of options prices.

Furthermore, 2010 could be a big year for buybacks:

To be sure, this buyback-volatility thesis, both for puts and for overall implied volatility, will be tested in 2010.

Many corporations' hoarded cash during the credit crisis as they were as unsure as individual investors as to what might occur. Goldman's analysts opine that low interest rates and big cash piles will now prompt many companies to take action. They think stock-buyback programs may prove popular.

Here are Goldman's guidelines, emphasis added. Everyone should definitely perform their own due diligence. Also, note that these studies frequently end up doing worse than their seemingly brilliant back tests, and simply generate commissions for the brokers. Still, the buy back inefficiency makes a lot of sense.

* Sell puts that expire in six months and that are 5% out-of-the-money. This means the puts increase in value if the stock price declines by 5%. Of course, investors can pick any strike price that they wish but that changes the probabilities of simply collecting money for selling puts and buying stock.

* Six-month implied volatility is higher than three- and six-month realized volatility, indicating that the options market thinks the stock has a greater chance of moving in the future than in the past.

* Put volatility is elevated, as evidenced by "skew" -- the difference between out-of-the-money put and call implied volatility -- being higher than the average Standard & Poor's 500 stock.

* Buy- or Neutral-rated stocks that have not yet exceeded Goldman's price targets. [Given that this comes from Goldman, of course!]

Read the full article at Barron's.

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See Also:

• With Goldman On It's Back, YRC Has Until January 1st To Save Itself
• Goldman: Oil Going To $90, Gold To $1350
• Teamsters Boss Hoffa To Goldman Sachs: Don't Bankrupt Us!

Every consumer dreams of a white knight cell phone carrier that makes service cheaper for everyone. That doesn’t usually happen, though. A new carrier in Canada, however, could be changing the mobile landscape. Will WIND Mobile’s cheaper, more comprehensive plans and lack of restrictions force change among the Big Three in Canada? That’s our main topic on today’s program.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (10 min, 30 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:
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Our modular large-area vacuum gripping system allows for individual handling solutions for efficient, process-safe palletising, depalletising, sorting and picking

Vacuum specialist J. Schmalz GmbH has a first class efficiency tool for users in the packaging industry: the large-area vacuum gripper FXC/FMC-SG. Highly customised, application-specific large-area vacuum gripping systems can be created thanks the modular design with standardised components: main body, valve and replaceable suction pads.

The user has two choices for the main body:
FXC (with integrated vacuum generation) or FMC (with a connection for external vacuum generation). In both versions, the main body consists of extruded aluminium sections that are variable in both width and length with a vacuum display embedded in the end covers and connections for the functions “sensor” and “blow off.”
For the valve module, the user can choose between SVWK or SW: SVWK has valve bodies that close automatically when not in use and is predominantly used with extremely porous workpieces. SW with flow resistors, on the other hand, is better suited for suction-tight workpieces.
The user also has a choice of suction pads: Whether you need optimised shapes for high suction power, additional foam sealing rings for workpieces with rough surfaces or embedded flow resistance – all standard suction pads have soft and supple sealing lips that quickly fit to uneven packaged goods or packaging, ensuring high holding power and precise positioning of the workpiece. In addition, the excellent sealing performance of the suction pads reduces the amount of energy required for vacuum generation. In the end, whether you choose quick-change, plug-in suction grippers with no screw fittings, or if you decide on suction pads that attach via screws, you can be sure that installing and replacing the suction pads is a quick procedure that will have the machine operating again in no time at all.

Pneumatic compact ejector with integrated blow-off system allows for the shortest handling cycles

Compact, light and strong with an extra blow-off feature, the new SEAC-RP compact ejector from vacuum technology specialist J. Schmalz GmbH provides both decentralised vacuum generation and added functional value, using as little space as possible.

The SEAC-RP vacuum generator is the latest in a series of innovative Schmalz products, and it meets energy efficiency and resource optimisation requirements. That’s because the SEAC-RP compact ejector, which is powered by compressed air, has integrated pneumatic air-saving regulation that guarantees minimal, demand-driven consumption of compressed air and thereby helps reduce energy and operation costs.

Indeed, the compact ejector is very compact and light-weight. As such, it is ideally suited for integration in vacuum systems and does not adversely affect the dynamics, or the process or movement speed of the handling system or robot. The combination of a high-speed and large suction capacity and an integrated blow-off system guarantees that the shortest handling and cycle times. With a modular design, the SEAC-RP compact ejector, system monitor and suction pad constitute a unit to be installed separately on a decentralised vacuum generator. Installation is uncomplicated and mounting work is minimal.

In addition to integrated pneumatic air-saving regulation and the extra blow-off system, the compact ejector has an integrated silencer that helps reduce noise levels and improve working conditions for employees. There is also the option of attaching an electric vacuum switch for system monitoring, with an adjustable switching point.

The SEAC-RP compact ejector has an anodised aluminium main body and a sturdy design for automatic operation. It is particularly well suited for use in rapid and highly dynamic handling or robot systems, for example during the treatment of sheet metal, wood, plastic, CDs or packaging material.

TSI Airflow introduces the Positive and Negative Duct Accreditation System (PANDA)

The Positive and Negative Duct Accreditation (PANDA) system provides contractors, commissioning engineers, and research and development technicians with the best in class choice of test equipment to quantify air leakage in ductwork and other areas as well as the ability to measure the performance of ducted systems.

Unique, fast, accurate and easy to use

This unique Duct Leakage Tester is designed to test the full range of pressures, and to conduct both positive and negative duct leakage tests in one rig. The unique performance and fan speed control charge up of duct system to test static pressure within minutes.

The PANDA provides a fast, accurate, automated solution and helps to ensure compliance with EN12237, EN1507 and EUROVENT 2/2 standards, enhancing energy savings in buildings.

The PANDA fits in the back of vans and estate cars.

Availability of two versions

There are two versions available for the Positive and Negative Duct Accreditation System (PANDA) Model PAN300 Series.

The Model PAN321 includes the Airflow TA460-P Multi-Function Instrument and PVM620 Micromanometer. The Model PAN311 standard is without instruments.

Model PAN321

The Model PAN321 automatically calculates leakage rate in real time and corrects actual volume flow leakage rate to Standard Temperature and Pressure (STP). Pass/fail indication are provided for a given tightness class. Simultaneous displays of flow leakage rate and static pressure and the monitoring of barometric pressure and temperature in real time are further advantages. Information can be data logged and downloaded for report generation and documentation. When coupled with a Model 8934 Portable Printer, the Model TA460-P can print out results of leakage tests.

Scott Billeadeau, Managing Director, Fifth Third Asset Management

• Current weightings in mid-cap growth portfolio
• Favorite stocks in IT
• Going up against the Street
• Bullish on the consumer discretionary
• Underweighting healthcare
• Biggest risk to investors in 2010

Produced By: Kamelia Angelova & William Wei

More Video: TBI Calendar Click HERE >

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In my family, we’ve been buying fewer presents and spending more time and attention on wrapping the gifts we buy. We like to add a little ornament to the package or use a decorative reusable shopping bag as a tote to hold gifts that are individually wrapped but work as a set. Sometimes, the extras end up costing pretty much, though, so I was excited to see a lighted bow tutorial from Alison Lewis that uses just a few items – saran wrap, hot glue and some LEDs.

 

The whole process involves a few simple steps:

• Make a loop bow just as you would with regular ribbon.
• Get your hot glue gun and go back and forth with the hot glue over the surface of the bow. You should do this over and over again.
• Add your lights.

It is hard to believe those few simple steps help you create such an amazing decoration. I’m looking forward to making a few of them as gift toppers. I also think they’d be a nice addition to a wreath that was sheltered by a porch overhang. Make sure you watch the video the whole way through. At the very end, she turns out the lights to show you how the lighted bows look and it is just spectacular.

(If you have problems with a really choppy video and no sound, click on the little HD is on button on the right hand side of the VIMEO player. With HD off, it plays very well for me.)

Photo: Alison Lewis

Post from: Blisstree

Lighted Bow Tutorial

Filed under: CES, Technology, Ford

Ford’s victory with Sync isn’t contestable – the connectivity system has a 70-percent uptake rate, and 32 percent of people list it as one of the reasons they bought a Ford. Over one million Sync-equipped vehicles have been sold in three years. The Blue Oval’s exclusive deal with Microsoft ended last year and other Microsoft-powered in-car competitors will be arriving soon, so Ford has been busy working on new elements that it hopes will keep Sync in front of the challengers.

Ford has updated Sync a couple of times this year with things like traffic and directions, and a contacts download app. According to The Detroit News, the next big update is scheduled to be announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month. Ford isn’t giving away details, but it’s called “mobile apps,” and it will enable Sync functionality with any app on a cellphone or personal music player. That would likely mean Pandora on-the-go and Twitter out loud.

It could also mean a price: rumors suggest that Ford will be charging for the upgrade, and that it will come on 2010 vehicles and be available to any previous Sync-fitted vehicle. Stay tuned for coverage from CES for more.

[Source: The Detroit News]

REPORT: Revised Sync from Ford coming to CES originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just as Google got fined for its Books project in France, the company is making concessions on its other controversial product Street View, this time in Switzerland. Authorities in the country claim that Google has agreed to stop publishing any new images taken in Switzerland for Street View until a court can decide if it acts in accordance with the privacy laws of the country.

Google came under fire in Switzerland shortly after launching the service there. Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) Hanspeter Thuer spoke out against the company initially claiming that its face and numberplate blurring technology wasn’t good enough to cover all cases and that the height at which the cameras on the Street View cars were positioned enabled it to take shots over fences and walls exposing private proprieties. He also accused Google of being uncooperative in comply with the organization’s requests.

In November, the commissioner took Google to court in an effort to block the service in the country. Now, officials are claiming that Google has agreed to stop updating the Street View imagery in the country until the court issues a decision. However, Google will be able to continue to acquire the images, with several caveats, during this time.

“We are pleased tha… (read more)

We love a good gratin. Low-maintenance (great if you have a more complicated main dish to prepare), perfect for feeding a crowd, and topped with melted cheese (yea!). This one from chef Daniel Boulud uses swiss chard instead of the more expected vegetables, like potato or spinach.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Auctions, Ford

If Ford first introduced the GT90 Concept at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show next month, we would probably consider it one of the coolest cars on the show floor. Incredibly, Ford unveiled the GT90 nearly 15 years ago. Even by today’s standards it is a supercar of supercars. The quad-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 puts out an estimated 720 horsepower, the body is constructed completely of carbon fiber and top speed is somewhere in the 250 mph range. The only hints that it’s not a modern supercar are the all-blue interior and wheels that are decidedly not from this decade.

So why are we talking about the GT90 Concept now? RM Auctions has just announced that it will be offering the car at its Arizona sale. That’s right, this is your chance to own one of the coolest concept vehicles of all time. This is the first time that the GT90 Concept has ever been publicly for sale at auction, and RM claims that it is in “excellent running condition, having been properly stored and maintained over the year.” No estimated price is given, but we’re guessing it will take a significant chunk of change to take the car home. Hit the jump for a detailed description and history of the GT90 Concept, or adorn your desktop with 1990s supercar glory using one of the photos in the high-res gallery below.

[Source: RM Auctions]

Continue reading Collectible Concept: 1995 Ford GT90 concept going up for auction

Collectible Concept: 1995 Ford GT90 concept going up for auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite pleas from Jimmy Hoffa, trucking company YRC has an ultimatum: pay up on swap agreements by January 1st or risk being torn apart by creditors:

Bloomberg: YRC Worldwide Inc. has less than two weeks to persuade bondholders to accept a debt exchange and prevent a bankruptcy filing that its employees’ union says may force the biggest U.S. trucking company to liquidate.

YRC, which has pushed back the deadline for the swap three times this month, must complete the tender by Dec. 31 to avoid a $19 million payment of interest and fees that would leave the trucker in an “unsustainable” position, the Overland Park, Kansas-based company said yesterday in a regulatory filing.

Read the whole story >>

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See Also:

• Soros: The CDS Market Is Just Legalized Homicide
• See The Bankruptcy Attorneys Breaking The $1,000 Per Hour Barrier
• What Recovery? Behold The Amazing Ghost Shipping Fleet Of Singapore

There have been several articles floating about over the past week or so stating that BMW is scaling back the operations of its hydrogen development in favor of working or hybrids and battery electric vehicles. The articles state that engineers will be pulled off the BMW Hydrogen 7 to work on other near term projects.

But, one has to wonder if this instead the company is a regrouping and refocusing its time, energy and efforts on hydrogen fuel cell car development. A couple of years ago I conducted an interview with the Corporate Communications Manager for BMW North America.

I asked him why his company was developing the BMW Hydrogen 7 for use with liquid hydrogen and bucking the industry standard of using compressed hydrogen gas like most of the other automakers were doing, even the ones building vehicles with internal combustion engines. His reply at that time was that compressed hydrogen gas was not the industry standard.

But, over the past 2 years liquid hydrogen has not taken off at the new pumps and fueling stations being built, so one has to wonder what role this is playing in BMW’s decision to shelve the Hydrogen 7 for the time being. Perhaps it was more a practical matter that the BMW Hydrogen 7 (at least at one time) had a hydrogen boil off problem in their insulated tanks. Or perhaps, the 125 mile range on hydrogen only (this is a dual fuel vehicle that also uses gasoline with a 300 mile range) wasn’t as green as fuel cell cars that were not dual fuel played a hand in it.

Then again, one has to wonder if BMW is regrouping their hydrogen efforts and focusing on fuel cells this time around. All Cars Electric is running a spy shot of a BMW 1 Series Hybrid being refueled by an unnamed gas. The photo was taken at a hydrogen fueling station. According to the article, the tank could have been nitrogen for emissions testing. But when I drove the BMW Hydrogen 7 several years back at a ride ‘n’ drive I noticed that there were small tanks like this filled with hydrogen that the engineers for other automakers took with them on the road so that they could refuel between hydrogen fueling stations if desired.

I’ve got a call in to my contact at BMW but haven’t heard back to confirm or deny this rumor. Another possibility is that BMW has decided to drop liquid hydrogen and go to compressed hydrogen gas and run this through an internal combustion engine that is also a hybrid electric car. Right now this is all speculation and rumors, but don’t count BMW out yet when it comes to hydrogen development. This may just be a tweak in the roadmap with the end goal in mind of putting a commercial hydrogen car on the road in the near future.

Ryan Avent is appalled, rightly, at Ben Bernanke’s response to a question from Brad DeLong, who asked why the Fed hasn’t raised its inflation target:

The Federal Reserve has not followed the suggestion of some that it pursue a monetary policy strategy aimed at pushing up longer-run inflation expectations. In theory, such an approach could reduce real interest rates and so stimulate spending and output. However, that theoretical argument ignores the risk that such a policy could cause the public to lose confidence in the central bank’s willingness to resist further upward shifts in inflation, and so undermine the effectiveness of monetary policy going forward.

Let’s parse this.

Read the full article at The New York Times –>

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See Also:

• Ron Paul: I’d Rather Congress Run Monetary Policy Than The Fed
• Get Ready For A Couple Of Hot Inflation Numbers
• Even Without TARP, Banks Are Still Heavily Subsidized

With the latest iteration of the Google Books settlement, it looked like the company was finally in the clear and able to focus on the product instead of lawsuits but this, unfortunately, isn’t the case. While it may have quieted critics in the US, elsewhere, especially in Europe, there are plenty of people more than upset at Google’s nerve to make books more available to those who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance. This is the case in France, where Google will have to pay €300,000 ($430,000) to publisher La Martiniere for infringing on its copyright by scanning its books.

A Paris court found Google guilty of infringement for exposing fragments of the scanned books online. Google doesn’t allow users to actually access or view the entire books, rather it enables them to search the contents and displays short excerpts of the portion of the text containing the query.

Still, the French publisher demanded that it be paid for the content and, in the original claim La Martiniere, the French Publishers’ Association and authors’ group SGDL, the parties who filed the lawsuit, asked for damages of €15 million for the crime. The judge found in the plaintiff’s favor, but the damages issued fell way short of the demands.

However, on top of the initial fine, Google will also have to pay an addit… (read more)