Thursday, April 1, 2010

the big story (late edition)

Google Chrome Steals Your Privacy



Microsoft has hit out at Google's Chrome browser, claiming that it doesn't respect users' privacy

Microsoft recently posted a video called "Google Chrome Steals Your Privacy" to its TechNet Website. The video explained why Microsoft didn't trust Chrome's privacy and used Internet Explorer 8 as a comparison.

The video has since disappeared but not before Ars Technica saw it and dissected the accusations made. Ars reports that the main accusation Microsoft makes is that Google's move to consolidate both the search and address bar means more of your information is being sent to Google. IE8, on the other hand, keeps these separate and sends less of your information to the search provider.

"As I start to type an address into the address bar, Fiddler [a Web debugging proxy] shows that for nearly every character I type, Chrome sends a request back to Google," Ars cites IE product manager
Pete LePage as saying. "I haven't even hit enter yet to load the website and Google is already getting information about the domain
and sites I'm visiting."

Next LePage shows us how different things look when you do the same thing using Internet Explorer 8. He begins to type the same address into the URL bar and sure enough, nothing is sent to Microsoft until he presses enter.

Read more...


earlier:
Russia Prez Promises 'Crueler' Measures



Already known for its draconian counter-terror measures. In the wake of recent terrorism attacks, Russia pledges to up the 'cruelty' on the oppressed Chechnyan population


MAKHACHKALA, Russia — President Dmitry Medvedev made a surprise visit Thursday to the violence-wracked southern province of Dagestan, telling police and security forces to use tougher, "more cruel" measures to fight the "scum" responsible for terrorist attacks.

Russia's security chief said some terror suspects had been detained.

In his dress — a black T-shirt under a black suit coat — and rough language, Medvedev was following the style of Russia's powerful prime minister, Vladimir Putin.

Twin suicide bombings this week in Moscow — which Islamic militants from the North Caucasus claim to have carried out — have refocused attention on the violence that for years has been confined to the predominantly Muslim republics in Russia's southern corner.

Another explosion Thursday killed two suspected militants and wounded a third in Dagestan near the border with Chechnya. Police said the men may have been transporting a makeshift bomb.

The day before, two suicide bombings in Dagestan killed 12 people, including nine policemen, a frequent target of attacks in part because they represent Russian authority.

The suicide bombings on the Moscow subway killed 39 people on Monday and have left nearly 90 hospitalized.

Medvedev said much more needed to be done to stop the attacks.

"The measures to fight terrorism should be expanded, they should be more effective, more harsh, more cruel, if you please," he told local officials in a televised meeting.

Read more...

CoOlDiGgY news (late edition)

VIDEO: Paul Krugman Admits There Are 'Death Panels'



*Obama's New Fuel Standards Will Add Almost $1000 to Auto Prices

*Sell-off in US Treasuries raises sovereign debt fears

*2010 US Census Warning: Authorities Seizing Personal Property, Issuing Code Violations



*Depressions Last HOW LONG?


earlier:
Homeowner Program Favoring White Borrowers



A new survey from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition has raised new questions about the Obama administration’s $75 billion Home Affordable Modification Program. The program is designed to provide financial incentives for mortgage lenders and servicers to reduce monthly payments for struggling homeowners.

The survey found white homeowners are almost 50 percent more likely to receive a loan modification under the mortgage program than African Americans or Latinos. Meanwhile, loan servicers foreclose on delinquent African American borrowers more quickly than white or Latino borrowers.

Read more...

*Letter Suggests Pope Knew of Abuse

*Bill Clinton Apologizes To Haiti For Effects Of Free Trade

*U.S. Foreign Aid May Entice Partners To Stay In Afghanistan

*Obama Appoints Pesticide Lobbyist Gets Posted as Chief Agricultural

*Hook-Up Culture At Boston University Leads To Skepticism About Sexual Assault


*Census 2010: Are you counted?

*Good Guys Win: No DWP rate hike ... for now

*Metrolink workers object to personality testing


*R.I. flooding: 'It makes you want to cry'



*India begins census that will include photos and fingerprints of all adults

*Dagestan suicide bombings have Russia looking to Putin

*US isn't concerned with Iran’s nuclear threat but with its oil power




the Girls of CoOlDiGgY tm

(coming soon)

the fairer sex

Sofia Vergara. Do You Need a Reason?

The hit television sitcom, Modern Family, is very funny. Though Family Guy is more realistic. But one of the shiny stars of the program is curvy Latina, Sofia Vergara. She's been making us horny for years but it's nice that she's finally made the mainstream. She's THE sex symbol of this new decade in our opinion. Feast you eyes on the 32D-28-39 body of Sofia Vergara. "Vergara" is Spanish for "Viagra"

girl blurbs

*It's even sexier when it's an Oscar winner: Anna Paquin is Bisexual

*Can't Imagine Why: Sandra Bullock And Jesse James' Final Screaming Match

*American Cruelty: Everyone Hates Lindsay Lohan. Ex Wants Her to Kill Self

*Saturday Night Live: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire: Gabourey Sidibe to host

*One of the even more useless Kardashian's sort of flashes boobs

*VIDEO: Smurfette, er, Rachael Ray Talks 'Going Commando'

*Brenda, er, Shanoon Doherty, voted of DWTS, but you shouldn't care

the random

Have we, as a people, forgotten all about Danni Minogue?

CoOlDiGgY tech & media

Why BlackBerry Users Will Defect



Despite bells and whistles, the device misses the 'fun factor'

Call it a matter of touch-screen envy, but many BlackBerry users are starting to feel the 24-month-contract itch.

And they're willing to switch to Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPhone or Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Nexus One, according to a recent study.

Conducted by the online market researchers Crowd Science, the survey results show that Research in Motion (RIMM) BlackBerry users are more likely to abandon the brand than iPhone or Android users. When asked of the likelihood of buying a particular brand of cell phone or smartphone if the purchase was made the following day, 39% of BlackBerry owners said they "definitely or probably would" nab an iPhone. And roughly one-third of the participants claimed they'd snatch up an Android phone.

Meanwhile, the fierce Google-Apple war seems to have bled into the user base.

An overwhelming majority of iPhone users -- 92% -- would likely stay loyal to the Apple device, and only a tad fewer Android owners -- 87% -- made a similar claim.

Read more...

*FCC Adviser Advocates State-run Propaganda “Megaphone” to Counter Alternative Media

*Yahoo India to Move Over 200 Search Engineers to Microsoft

*Yahoo to shutter AdSense clone at the end of April

*Hulu's profitable, but direction still uncertain

*You Shouldn't Have Laughed: News Anchor Who Fell From Chair has MS

sports & health

TMZ: 10 Million Reasons Tiger Was Afraid of Rachel



There were numerous reports Rachel settled on the brink of holding a Gloria Allred-style news conference for anywhere between $2 - 5 million.

But our sources -- and they are good -- tell TMZ Tiger was so concerned with the depth and detail of information from Alleged Mistress #1 that they folded like a cheap suit, and offered the huge $10 million sum in return for an ironclad confidentiality agreement.

TMZ has learned the actual settlement could fluctuate $1 million either way, depending on future circumstances. But the baseline is $10 mil.

Compare Rachel's settlement with what other A.M's received, if they got anything at all. We're told several mistresses got several hundred thousand dollars, and others got nothing. That speaks volumes about how much Rachel knows.

Read more...

*In search of Manny Ramirez

*Porter won't face DUI charges


*Study: Small soda taxes don't dent child obesity

*Heart failure risk found with prostate cancer drug

the frivolous (late edition)

One and a Half Men?




Charlie Sheen wants out


After seven seasons, CBS’s hit sitcom Two and a Half Men will be down one man after the April 9 taping, sources tell PEOPLE. The reason? “Charlie’s just done,” says a set source. “And he’s quietly telling his friends he’s not coming back.”

Although sources say the network hoped the star would sign a new contract for an eighth season, Sheen recently turned down the offer. “He wants to move on,” says a friend of the actor, whose contract is fulfilled after he tapes this season’s 22nd episode. “Leaving is 100 percent his idea.”

Read more...

*S. Epatha Merkerson is Leaving Law & Order

earlier:
Ferris Bueller's Ferrari Going Up For Auction

But Here's The Catch: It's Not A Real Ferrari



You have a chance to own an iconic piece of Chicago film history, if you have at least $45,000 to spare.

Ferris Bueller's Ferrari is going up for auction in London on April19.

Bonhams Collectors' Motor Cars and Automobilia Auction estimates that it will go for £30,000-40,000, or roughly $45,000-67,000.

The car works and is ready to drive. But there is one catch – it's not a real Ferrari.

The car is actually a replica of the Ferrari 250GT Spyder California that was specially created for the1986 movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

"Only around one hundred genuine 250GT Spyder Californias were created by Ferrari between 1958 and 1963," Bonhams says. "Existing examples are very rare and expensive so Paramount chose to commission and build a replica for filming purposes."

Read more...

*James Van Der Beek to Pay Ex-Wife $7,750 a Month

*'Shalom Y'all': Rabbi travels for small Jewish flocks in South

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