Big Brother...and Advertisers are watching us...

Associated Press (07/28/10) Robertson, Jordan

Lookout, a mobile phone security company, scanned nearly 300,000 free
applications for Apple iPhones and devices built around Google's Android
software and found that a number of them covertly take sensitive information
from users' phones and transmit it to third parties without notification.
That is a significant concern that has been popping up among privacy and
security professionals. The data can include complete details about users'
friends, their pictures, text messages, and Internet and search histories.
Among these third parties are advertisers and companies that analyze user
information. The data is used by companies to target advertisements and
accrue more user information. The risk, however, is that the data becomes
susceptible to hacking and use in identity theft if the third party does not
carefully secure the data. Lookout shared its findings in late July during
the Black Hat computer security conference in Las Vegas. Lookout found that
nearly one in four iPhone apps and almost 50 percent of the Android apps
contained software code that enabled these capabilities. "We found that not
only users, but developers as well, don't know what's happening in their
apps, even in their own apps, which is fascinating," says Lookout CEO John
Hering

15% CHANGE

15% changes everything

When a newspaper loses 15% of its readers or 15% of its advertisers, it goes out of business. There are still people who want to read it, still people who want to advertise, but it's gone.

When a technology company increases its sales by 15%, profits will double. The sales line doesn't have to increase that much for profits to soar.

It's so tempting to head for green fields with a new thing, a new market, a new business. But in fact, 15% right here and right now might be exactly what you need.

The cup is half full!

I am an optimist.

The glass is more than half full.

Our financial and social structure has tremendous critical mass that will get us out of almost any problem that we get ourselves into.

Wars, famines, plagues, natural disasters, religious ideology, corrupt and evil political leaders have had very little impact on the forward motion of our society...over the long run.

They have all had an impact on the short run....especially if you are in their path of destruction, but in the long run, we have made incredible advances..... and we will continue to make great advances.

20 years from now we will be talking about companies that started and took advantage of the current financial and political situation...... we might also be talking about the positive impact that the earthquake in Haiti, the iran and Korean Nuclear technology, or even drilling deep water oil wells did for the future.

Because of the Nukes and oil drilling.....maybe we push Fusion Technology along quicker and eliminate the need for giant power stations? Becasue of Haiti maybe someone discovers a new cure for some disease that reduces worldwide healthcare costs?

In the short run...banks will close.....the market will go up and down......and I will continue to grow hair out of my ears.....but I am an optimist!

Medical advances will have a DNA gene therapy for diseases (and hair).... and people will get rich off the stock.

Energy discoveries will change how and what we consume for power......and people will get rich off the stock.

Technology advances in communications will change and Jim's cell phone will work in Melbourne Beach...... and people will get rich off the stock.

We are not at the end of the road to prosperity....We are not at the end of the road of oil, clean air, clean water, cheap gas, ethical people, silly blogs....

We are at the beginning of an incredible new chapter of opportunity with scientific advances that will make our heads spin.....

I am excited to be a witness to an incredible future!!!

Pictures from Spain