December 31, 2007

Happy new year. . . .


December 27, 2007

www.yourstreet.com : mapping news

Text Source: TechnologyReview by Erica Naone

A new startup called YourStreet is bringing hyper-local information to its users by collecting news stories and placing them on its map-based interface, down to the nearest street corner. While there have been many companies that combine information and maps, YourStreet is novel in its focus on classifying news by location. (See "A New Perspective on the Virtual World.")



When a user opens the site, it detects her location and shows a map of that area, stuck with pins that represent the locations of news stories, user-generated content called conversations, and people who have added themselves to the map. The user can zoom in or out of the map or look at another location by entering a place name or zip code into a search bar. CEO and founder James Nicholson says that what sets YourStreet apart is its extensive news service: the site collects 30,000 to 40,000 articles a day from more than 10,000 RSS feeds, mostly from community newspapers and blogs. "We're not relying on the users to provide us with articles," Nicholson says. The stories featured on the site aren't of a specific type, and users will find the locations of murders marked alongside the locations of upcoming music shows. Stories featured on the site are teasers, and, if a user clicks to read further, she will be directed back to the source of the information.

December 23, 2007

EDPS Opinion on RFID: major opportunities for Information Society but privacy issues need to be addressed with more ambition










The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) today issued his Opinion on the Commission's communication on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in Europe that was released in March 2007. The Opinion deals with the growing use of RFID chips in consumer products and other new applications affecting individuals.


The EDPS welcomes the Commission's Communication on RFID as it addresses the main issues arising from the deployment of RFID technology while taking account of privacy and data protection considerations. The EDPS agrees with the Commission that it is appropriate in the first phase to leave room for self-regulatory instruments. However, additional legislative measures may be necessary to regulate RFID usage in relation to privacy and data protection.


Peter Hustinx, EDPS, says: "RFID systems could play a key role in the development of the European Information Society but the wide acceptance of RFID technologies should be facilitated by the benefits of consistent data protection safeguards. Self-regulation alone may not be enough to meet the challenge. Legal instruments may therefore be required to guarantee that the technical solutions to minimise the risks for data protection and privacy are in place."


More specifically, the EDPS calls on the Commission to consider the following recommendations:



  • the provision of a clear guidance, in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders, on how to apply the current legal framework to the RFID environment;

  • the adoption of a Community legislation regulating the main issues of RFID-usage in case the effective implementation of the existing legal framework fails;

  • such measures should notably lay down the opt-in principle at the point of sale as a precise and undeniable legal obligation;

  • the identification of "Best Available Techniques" which will play a decisive role in the early adoption of the privacy-by-design principle.

December 17, 2007

Brain Sensor for Market Research








Market researchers have long sought people's assessments of not-yet-released advertisements and products. But when people recall how they felt during a commercial, for instance, they often can't accurately describe what their reactions were at each moment in the 30-second spot. Now a San Francisco startup called Emsense claims that it has the tools needed to monitor a person's true reactions during an entire commercial or video game.


The company has developed a sensor-laden headset that tracks brain activity using a single electroencephalography sensor (EEG) at the forehead, and other sensors that monitor breathing rate, head motion, heart rate, blink rate, and skin temperature--all of which can be indicators of whether a person is engaged or excited. In addition, says Hans Lee, chief technology officer at Emsense, his team has built proprietary algorithms that find meaning from the data collected by the sensors. Founded in 2004, the company was originally developed to build an EEG-based video-game controller. (See "Connecting Your Brain to the Game.") Recently, though, the team found that using its technology for market research is more lucrative. And, as the political season ramps up, the company is testing its system internally on campaign ads.



December 13, 2007

Finding Yourself without GPS





by Kate Greene

Text Source: Technology Review


Google's new technology could enable location-finding services on cell phones that lack GPS.


As more mobile phones tap into the Internet, people increasingly turn to them for location-centric services like getting directions and finding nearby restaurants. While Global Positioning System (GPS) technology provides excellent accuracy, only a fraction of phones have this capability. What's more, GPS coverage is spotty in dense urban environments, and in-phone receivers can be slow and drain a phone's battery.


To sidestep this problem, last week Google added a new feature, called My Location, to its Web-based mapping service. My Location collects information from the nearest cell-phone tower to estimate a person's location within a distance of about 1,000 meters. This resolution is obviously not sufficient for driving directions, but it can be fine for searching for a restaurant or a store. "A common use of Google Maps is to search nearby," says Steve Lee, product manager for Google Maps, who likened the approach to searching for something within an urban zip code, but without knowing that code. "In a new city, you might not know the zip code, or even if you know it, it takes time to enter it and then to zoom in and pan around the map."



December 11, 2007

Evolving Privacy Concerns







Facebook user Sean Lane bought a special gift for his wife. But his secret plans were ruined when information about his purchase was published through the social-networking site's new advertising system, Beacon.


Privacy concerns surfaced shortly after Beacon launched a month ago, prompting the activist group MoveOn, for example, to start a Facebook group protesting Beacon and to organize an online petition.


Stories such as this have many users concerned about their privacy. Last week, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg issued an apology and released a control that lets users turn off the system. But last weekend, experts at Yale Law School's symposium on reputation economies in cyberspace said that Facebook's privacy woes may not be over.


Beacon works by making use of partnerships that Facebook has formed with other websites, including Blockbuster and the New York Times.



December 10, 2007

Your Personal Genome





A new wave of products targeting the blossoming personal-genomics industry has recently become available. The first commercial whole-genome sequencing service was launched last week by startup Knome, based in Cambridge, MA. (See "Get Your Genome Sequenced for $350,000.") Three other companies--deCode Genomics, based in Iceland; and the much-hyped startups 23andMe and Navigenics, both based in California--recently announced consumer services for genome-wide DNA analysis. While the technologies and business strategies of the companies vary, they all aim to give consumers a picture of their genetic risk for disease.


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