Why the Wikileaks CIA dump was the most damaging one yet | TechCrunch

April 24, 2017April 23, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s impossible to keep up with the nonstop news coverage and multiple storylines around the recent Wikileaks CIA dump. The initial Vault 7 data drop led to Assange’s press conference about “helping” private companies patch vulnerabilities, all while fear started to spread around the intelligence community listening in to our internet-connected Samsung TVs and Apple products at home, and Cisco disclosing that its routers and Internet switches had been hacked.

Most recently, CIA Director Mike Pompeo criticized WikiLeaks in his first public address since being confirmed, calling the organization a “non-state hostile intelligence service.” Pompeo makes an undeniable point about the far-reaching consequences of a leak such as this one — which, speaking from an intelligence perspective, is likely the most frightening yet.

Google, the world’s top advertising company, is building an ad blocker for Chrome | Mashable

April 21, 2017April 20, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google, the internet’s biggest advertising company, may be building an ad blocker.

The search giant plans to roll out a feature in the next mobile version of its Chrome browser that would filter out certain types of ads, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday,

Such a tool seems at odds with the company’s primary revenue source, but Google thinks that it could actually deter people from resorting to other blockers in the long run, according to the report.

By targeting only the most disruptive ad formats — pop-ups, interstitials, and autoplay videos, for instance — the hope is that less people will be driven to third-party software. Google already ostensibly bans many of these types of ads anyway.

Barbie out of fashion as Mattel slumps | BBC News

April 21, 2017April 20, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Barbie sales fell 13% in the first quarter, adding to a much worse-than-expected slump for Mattel, the world’s largest toy company.

It was the second consecutive quarter of falling sales for the doll, which has been a key part of the firm’s product range for almost six decades.

Mattel said sales dropped by 15.4% to $735m (£574m) for the three months to 31 March.

That was the biggest slide since 2009 and short of the $801m forecast.

Bill O’Reilly Exits Fox After Sexual Harassment Scandal | Bloomberg

April 20, 2017April 19, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, the network’s most valuable host, is leaving in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal that caused dozens of advertisers to flee his top-rated show.

21st Century Fox Inc., parent of the most-watched cable network, announced his exit in a one-sentence statement Wednesday. “After a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the company and Bill O’Reilly have agreed that Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel.”

O’Reilly is the channel’s top draw and has been the most recognizable face of Fox News for much of its 21 years, meaning his exit will test viewer loyalty. Up to now, the network has successfully weathered the loss of key figures including founder Roger Ailes, who was also accused of sexual harassment. Another top network personality, Megyn Kelly, left for NBC in January.

Now WeWork Wants To Build Out Your Office And Run It For You | Fast Company

April 20, 2017April 19, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

At a time when more traditional businesses are scrambling to adopt the efficiencies of leaner startups, help is on the way. WeWork is currently in the research phase of a new initiative through which it will revamp companies’ offices for them, remaking them in WeWork’s image and arming them with office-management technology and a cultural attaché.

Chief product officer David Fano and head of product research Joshua Emig unveiled the infant project at a breakfast event today inside a glossy wood-walled WeWork in lower Manhattan. They discussed how they’re planning to move WeWork beyond co-working spaces to help big companies manage their own offices. Initially these on-site services will only be for large companies with 50,000 to 60,000 square feet and at least 1,000 employees. The new offerings would include everything from building out interiors to managing guests, booking conference rooms, coordinating events, analyzing office data on space usage, and providing a human community manager to instill WeWork philosophies.

Prosecutors move to toss more than 21,000 tainted drug cases | ABC News

April 20, 2017April 19, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Prosecutors moved to throw out more than 21,000 drug convictions on Tuesday, five years after a chemist at the state drug lab was caught tampering with evidence and falsifying tests.

The state’s highest court had ordered district attorneys in seven counties to produce lists by Tuesday indicating how many of approximately 24,000 cases involving Annie Dookhan they would be unable or unwilling to prosecute if the defendants were granted new trials.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said Tuesday night that 21,587 cases had been recommended for dismissal. It said that would be the largest dismissal of criminal convictions in U.S. history.

The cases would be formally dismissed by court action, expected Thursday, the ACLU said.

Zoom In, Zoom Out: Making Your Small Business Look Bigger and Better than Your Competition | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

April 19, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It can be difficult to gain credibility and trust in an industry, especially when you’re competing with much bigger companies. However, there are ways you can make your company appear larger than it is, even if you’ve only got a small budget. By investing in the right services and products, you can feel and look like a corporation, even though your business is still small.

Here are just some of the ways you can do this:

When to Spend on PR and When to do It Yourself (or Not at All) | Entrepreneur

April 19, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You’ve just started your business, your website is finished, your SEO is lined up, your products are ready to ship, and you’ve got a hungry team eager to seize the moment. All you need to do now is get the word out about that amazing product. Right?

Maybe, but maybe not.

When speaking to budding entrepreneurs, I sometimes find myself giving advice that you wouldn’t expect from a PR professional. I tell them that, for a lot of brands, hiring a PR pro isn’t worth the cost. Don’t get me wrong, a great PR team is one of best brand-building tools a business can employ. But if your brand isn’t positioned to benefit from a well-executed PR strategy, you could end up wasting your time and money.

Empathy vs Sympathy: Are We Talking About The Same Thing? | Life Hack

April 18, 2017April 17, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In general, sympathy and empathy are often confused with one another. There is good reason for this too, primarily because both words deal with similar emotions and are derived from the Greek term páthos (which pertains to suffering and feeling). These words are also commonly ascribed to situations of sadness and mourning, as people try to identify with a particular group or individual that has been afflicted by tragedy.

Despite the similarities in terms of application and origin, however, there are core differences that separate the two words. Sympathy describes the feelings of compassion and pity that we may have for another person’s plight, for example, whereas empathy enables us to put ourselves in the shoes of those who are suffering and share directly in their sadness.