Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Microsoft Wants Google to Censor?. Microsoft.com

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Torrent Freak
July 28, 2013

In an attempt to make pirated content harder to find copyright holders ask Google to remove millions of search results every week. While these automated requests are usually legitimate, mistakes happen more often than one might expect. For example, in an embarrassing act of self-censorship Microsoft recently asked Google to censor links to its very own Microsoft.com.

Earlier this week we reported that Google has already received takedown requests for more than 100 million URLs this year.

While most of the submitted URLs do indeed link to infringing content, not all requests received by Google are correct.

The automated systems used by many of the copyright holders often trigger notices that include links to perfectly legitimate content, and sometimes even their own work. The latter happened in a recent DMCA takedown request sent by LeakID on behalf of Microsoft.

Instead of listing URLs of infringing material, Microsoft asked Google to remove links to their own websites, as can be seen below. The six links point to Microsoft?s store, support pages and product descriptions. A pretty embarrassing mistake to say the least.

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Whoops..

google-dmca-ms

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Luckily for Microsoft, Google spotted the error, meaning that the pages in question have not been removed from the search results, although it would have been a fitting punishment if Google had decided to comply with the request.

While the above error is rather entertaining, matters gets more serious when copyright holders censor legitimate content produced by others. It?s hard to say how frequently this happens, but just by browsing through the many DMCA notices we have been able to find dozens of examples already.

Just two weeks ago we found that HBO had asked Google to remove a perfectly legal copy of the open source video player VLC, for example. The link in question was clearly submitted in error, but at the time of writing it?s still absent from Google?s search result.

Some individuals respond to these mistakes by blaming the search engine, and taking counter-action. For example, a person who uses the handle ?Google dicksuck? decided to respond to the VLC takedown request by asking Google to remove HBO.com.

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How about this takedown?

google-ds

?

Unfortunately for him or her, Google did not remove the TV-network?s website.

Of course Google can?t really be blamed for responding to takedown requests because they are required to do so by law. Considering the millions of notices submitted to them every week, Google does a pretty good job at filtering out the most obvious mistakes.

The copyright holders on the other hand could take much more care to prevent these errors. Even if it?s just to avoid embarrassing themselves.

Source: http://intellihub.com/2013/07/28/microsoft-wants-google-to-censor-microsoft-com/

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Monday, July 29, 2013

10 Things to Know for Monday

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas chairs a session of the Palestinian cabinet in the West Bank city of Ramallah, July 28, 2013. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry shuttled between Israeli and Palestinian leaders for months seeking a breakthrough and announced last week that the Palestinians and the Israelis were willing to meet to discuss renewing talks. The Palestinians long refused to return to the negotiating table unless Israel agreed to several preconditions. (AP Photo/ Xinhua, Issam Rimawi, Pool)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas chairs a session of the Palestinian cabinet in the West Bank city of Ramallah, July 28, 2013. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry shuttled between Israeli and Palestinian leaders for months seeking a breakthrough and announced last week that the Palestinians and the Israelis were willing to meet to discuss renewing talks. The Palestinians long refused to return to the negotiating table unless Israel agreed to several preconditions. (AP Photo/ Xinhua, Issam Rimawi, Pool)

In this July 12, 2013 photo, Deputy Edward Schinkal attaches an electronic monitoring unit to a woman who was sentenced to home incarceration, in Cincinnati. Changes and improvements in technology are helping authorities in southwest Ohio track crime suspects and convicts and freeing up scarce jail space. (AP Photo/The Cincinnati Enquirer, Carrie Cochran) MANDATORY CREDIT; NO SALES

This undated family photo provided by the Rockland County Sheriff's Office on Sunday, July 28, 2013 shows Mark Lennon. Authorities continued to search for Lennon after he fell into the Hudson River Friday night when the motorboat he was on as a passenger crashed into a barge near the Tappan Zee Bridge. (AP Photo/Rockland County Sheriff's Office)

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Monday:

1. WHO'S AGREED TO RESUME PEACE TALKS

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet in Washington after Israel OKs release of 104 Palestinian prisoners.

2. EGYPT BRACES FOR MORE VIOLENCE

The interim government vows to crack down on two protest camps organized by supporters of ousted president Morsi.

3. NOT ENOUGH MONITORING OF MONITORING BRACELETS IN US

The AP finds that an avalanche of alerts is undermining attempts to check the whereabouts of sex offenders and others.

4. SEARCHERS FIND 2ND BODY AFTER HUDSON CRASH

It's believed to be Mark Lennon, who was to be best man at the wedding of Lindsey Stewart, also presumed dead.

5. NEW SIGN OF DETERIORATING US ECONOMIC SECURITY

More than 19 million white Americans have fallen below the poverty line of $23,021 for a family of four, accounting for more than 41 percent of the nation's destitute.

6. 'BRAVEST MAN I EVER KNEW' DIES AT 88

Medal of Honor recipient George "Bud" Day spent 5-1/2 years as a POW in Vietnam and was John McCain's cellmate.

7. TOUR BUS CRASHES INTO ITALIAN RAVINE

At least two dozen die as Italian pilgrims plunge off highway near Avellino.

8. WHERE YOUNG BLACK MALE HUMANITY GETS A RARE SHOWCASE

The film 'Fruitvale Station' dramatizes the real-life case of a 22-year-old African American man shot in the back by a police officer in 2009.

9. HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS TRACK PROPERTY LOST IN HOLOCAUST

Israel-based genealogy company uses the Internet to match items stolen by the Nazis to heirs of victims.

10. ONE MORE REASON HE'S YANKEE CAPTAIN

Derek Jeter hits a home run in his first at-bat after coming off disabled list.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-07-28-10-Things-to-Know-Monday/id-6ba9c67a77a84020abf674eeb0e020d4

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Spanish train driver charged with 79 homicide counts

By Tracy Rucinski

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain (Reuters) - The driver of a Spanish high-speed train that derailed and killed 79 people was released pending trial on charges of reckless homicide, a judge ruled on Sunday night.

Francisco Garzon, 52, had been under arrest since Thursday. He is suspected of driving the train too fast through a tight curve on the outskirts of the northwestern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela.

Examining Magistrate Luis Alaez formally charged Garzon with "79 counts of homicide and numerous offences of bodily harm, all of them committed through professional recklessness," the court said in a statement.

In a closed-door hearing before Judge Alaez, Garzon admitted taking the curve too fast, blaming it on a momentary lapse, according to media reports.

Alaez set the following conditions of release: Garzon must check in regularly with the court, surrender his passport and not drive trains.

None of the parties in the case, which include state train operator Renfe, state railway firm Adif and two insurance companies, had asked for Garzon to be jailed pending trial, and he was not seen as a flight risk, the court statement said.

At 8:41 p.m. on Wednesday the eight-carriage, high-speed train slammed into a concrete wall, crumpled, and some of the cars caught fire. The impact was so strong that one of the carriages was thrown several meters high over an embankment.

The death toll from Spain's worst train disaster in decades rose to 79 after one injured person - a woman from the United States - died on Sunday.

Seventy people remain hospitalized with injuries from the crash, 22 are in critical condition.

Garzon has worked for Renfe for 30 years, 10 as a driver. His father also worked on the rails and he grew up in Renfe-owned housing in the northwestern town of Monforte de Lemos and went to school with other train-workers' children.

After the accident he was hospitalized with a head injury. On Saturday he was released from the hospital but remained in police custody until he was taken to the hearing at Santiago de Compostela's main courthouse.

Neither lawyers nor members of Garzon's family could be reached for comment.

Alaez has been assigned to investigate the case and will also look at whether the train, the tracks or the security system that slows down the trains were at fault.

UP TO THE DRIVER

The Alvia train involved in the accident, one of three types of high-speed train services that run in Spain, received a full maintenance check on the morning of the journey, the head of Renfe said, and security systems were in good shape.

"As far as we know, the train was in perfect condition when it set off on its journey," Renfe President Julio Gomez-Pomar told newspaper ABC.

The Alvia trains run both on traditional tracks, where drivers must heed warning systems to reduce speed, and on high-speed tracks where a more sophisticated security system will automatically slow down trains that are going too fast.

At the section of the track where the accident happened, it was up to the driver to respond to prompts to slow down.

Gomez-Pomar rejected criticism that the safety system was insufficient, saying the debate "does not make much sense".

CELEBRATIONS CANCELED

The city of Santiago was meant to be celebrating the yearly festival of St. James on July 25, with thousands of Christian pilgrims arriving after walking the famous Camino de Santiago ancient pilgrimage trail.

A week of concerts and other cultural events were canceled after the train crash on the eve of the festival. On Sunday, black ribbons of mourning hung on the empty stages that had been set up.

Pilgrims, many of them fresh off the trail and carrying backpacks, crammed into a standing-room-only Mass in Santiago's centuries-old cathedral where they were asked to remember the victims of the accident.

At the cathedral gates, along with flowers and candles commemorating the dead, some people left walking sticks from their journeys and others placed shells, the symbol of St. James and badge of honor for the pilgrims who complete the journey.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who visited the crash site after the tragedy, is due to return on Monday to Santiago, the city where he was born, for an official funeral ceremony for the victims.

Dolores Mato, 57, a shopkeeper who works close to the ancient cathedral, expressed sympathy and grief for the victims and their families, but also for Garzon, who she said had been "crucified" in the media.

(Writing by Elisabeth O'Leary; Editing by Fiona Ortiz, Peter Graff, Sonya Hepinstall and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/driver-derailed-spanish-train-charged-79-counts-homicide-010916839.html

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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Omnicom, Publicis to combine into biggest ad firm

PARIS (AP) ? Omnicom Group Inc. and Publicis Groupe SA say they are combining in a "merger of equals" that will create the world's largest advertising firm, one worth more than $35 billion.

The combined company will be called Publicis Omnicom Group and be jointly led by Omnicom CEO John Wren and Publicis CEO Maurice Levy as co-chief executives. The move is designed to bolster the companies' focus on growing Asian and Latin American markets such as China and Brazil, where they each have ramped up operations to counter lackluster growth in weak European markets.

But although a combined firm will allow for more pricing power in general, the decrease in competition could present regulatory hurdles in the U.S. and Europe. Client conflicts also could be an issue, as rivals such as Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, McDonald's, Yum Brands' Taco Bell, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble now find themselves under the same umbrella.

Rich Tullo, an analyst at Albert Fried & Co. in New York, predicted pushback from regulators in both the U.S. and France. The U.S. could be wary of one company controlling such a large portion of the market, he said, while in France, authorities might not take warmly to any Americanization of a company that is a bright spot in the bruised French economy.

Tullo also questioned whether the combined company could live up to promises like the $500 million in cost savings touted with the announcement, given Europe's shaky financial condition. "That sounds like financial alchemy, if you ask me," he said.

Omnicom Group Inc., based in New York, owns BBDO Worldwide, DDB Worldwide Communications Group and TBWA Worldwide, among other agencies. Paris-based Publicis Groupe SA runs its namesake agency as well as Leo Burnett Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi and DigitasLBi. Their merger creates a company with combined annual revenue of about $23 billion, leapfrogging them over current London-based industry leader WPP PLC.

For the first year, Omnicom Chairman Bruce Crawford will serve as non-executive chairman of the new company. He will be succeeded by Elisabeth Badinter, the current Publicis Groupe chairwoman, and daughter of its founder, for the second year.

Levy is slated to take the non-executive chairman's seat after 30 months, leaving Wren to continue as sole CEO from that point.

Omnicom, which also owns public relations firms such as Fleishman-Hillard, Porter Novelli and Ketchum, reported 2012 profit of nearly $1 billion on revenue of $14.22 billion. Earlier this month, the Madison Avenue giant posted second-quarter earnings that topped analysts' average forecast, though revenue growth of 2 percent fell just short of expectations.

Founded in 1986, Omnicom generates just over half of its revenue from U.S. clients, and about one-quarter from European and British markets combined. The company's stock has risen 31 percent in the last 12 months, recently peaking at $67.43 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Omnicom will benefit from Publicis' strategic shift in the last few years toward digital operations, as the French company beefed up its digital marketing profile with the acquisitions of Digitas, Razorfish, Rosetta, Big Fuel and LBi. Publicis, which had revenue of $8.78 billion in 2012, had targeted generating 75 percent of its revenue in digital and fast-growing countries by 2018, according to a recent investor presentation.

The move gives Publicis, which has faced questions about who will succeed 71-year-old Levy, access to Omnicom's well-regarded senior leadership, said James Dix, an analyst at Wedbush Securities.

Analysts said the deal also represents even more consolidation in an industry that is already dominated by just a few players, a fact that might not sit well with U.S. regulators.

If the Omnicom-Publicis combination goes through, the combined company would account for nearly 40 percent of the U.S. ad industry, twice as much as the nearest competitor, WPP, according to Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research Group in New York.

Wieser said Sunday the deal came as a surprise to many in the industry. Omnicom, he said, has "always been viewed as too large to get any larger."

The combined company will have more than 130,000 employees.

One concern is whether Omnicom and Publicis can strike a harmonious balance of power ? something that can be difficult in mergers of similar-sized companies.

"It's not clear yet who really is in the driver's seat," Wieser said. "That will emerge over time."

The fact that the two firms are based in different countries could also become an issue, Dix said. "You have these fiefdoms that keep people from playing together. One company is based in Paris, one is in New York. Where is the power center?" he said in an interview Saturday.

Dix expects that top executives are comfortable with the structure of the deal, but the adjustment may be more difficult for the next level of executives who run the firms' units.

"Now they have to fit together into a broader organization," Dix said. "If you lose clients or have defections of senior executives then you have something that looked good on paper but didn't quite play out."

The combination has been approved by the boards of both companies, but remains subject to regulatory approval in both the U.S. and Europe, and to a vote by shareholders of both companies. The deal is structured so that the shareholders of Publicis Groupe and Omnicom, after special dividends, will each hold approximately 50 percent of the company.

Publicis Groupe shareholders will receive one new share of Publicis Omnicom Group for each Publicis Groupe share they own, together with a special dividend of 1 euro per share. Omnicom shareholders will receive 0.813 new shares of Publicis Omnicom Group for each Omnicom share they own, plus a special dividend of $2 per share. The new company intends to be listed in Paris and on the New York Stock Exchange.

The combination could have a domino effect on the industry, spurring marriages between other ad giants who might fear they can't compete otherwise, said Michael Corty, an analyst at Chicago-based Morningstar. "Within the ad agency industry, this is potentially an earthquake deal."

___

Business News reporters Christina Rexrode and Jon Fahey contributed from New York.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/omnicom-publicis-combine-biggest-ad-firm-220845588.html

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NFL notes: Rodgers says he was ?lied to? by Braun

NFL notes ? Green Bay QB ?disappointed? by friend?s PED admission.

Ryan Braun apparently has some work to do to repair his friendship with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Describing himself as shocked and disappointed, Rodgers said Friday after the Packers? first training camp practice that Braun "looked at me in the eye on multiple occasions and repeatedly denied the allegations" that the Milwaukee Brewers slugger was using performance-enhancing drugs.

Braun this week accepted a season-ending 65-game suspension after admitting to violating baseball?s rules against using PEDs.

Rodgers felt duped by his buddy and business associate, a sentiment being expressed by many others in Wisconsin. A Milwaukee restaurant is named for two of the state?s most well-known athletes, and Rodgers last year defended his friend on Twitter, going so far as to bet his multimillion-dollar salary that Braun was clean.

"It?s disappointing, not only for myself as a friend but for obviously Wisconsin sports fans, Brewer fans, Major League Baseball fans," Rodgers said before a throng of media surrounding his locker. "It doesn?t feel great being lied to like that, and I?m disappointed about the way it all went down."

Rodgers and Braun have spoken since the slugger?s suspension. Asked if he considered themselves friends, Rodgers didn?t answer directly but said in part, "I trusted him, and that?s the thing that probably hurts the most."

Vikings? Peterson eager for HGH testing

Embracing the challenge has always been a part of Adrian Peterson?s persona. Bring it on, the star running back has often said with a smile.

He set the NFL?s single-game rushing record as a rookie for the Minnesota Vikings. His swift recovery from reconstructive left knee surgery last season included a jaw-dropping 2,097 yards rushing and the league MVP award. No matter how rare the feat he?s asked about, Peterson will usually insist it?s possible.

story continues below

There?s another test he?d eagerly take: for human growth hormone.

"I can?t wait until they draw my blood," Peterson said Friday after the team?s first workout of training camp.

The NFL and the players union have been working on an agreement for HGH testing procedures. Supplemental HGH is a banned substance that?s difficult to detect. It?s been used by athletes for what are believed to be a variety of benefits, whether real or only perceived, like increased speed and improved vision.

"To be honest with you, I?ve been hoping they did this a long time ago, you know, evening out the playing field and make guys be honest and truthful to themselves," Peterson said, later adding: "I?m all natural. I work hard. This right here, it?s a test for me personally, that I know that, ?Hey, I?m clean as a whistle,? and other guys as well. And then, like I say, it?ll bring some guys to the forefront and be like, ?Hey, I guess this is how this guy?s been performing so well.?"

Peterson said he believes HGH use is not uncommon around the league.

"You?ve got guys out there trying to provide for their families, they?re going to try to get that edge, get that advantage, especially if they?re not worried about trying to get caught," Peterson said. "Yeah, it?s being used."

Around the league

Bengals ? An MRI found that All-Pro receiver A.J. Green has a bruised knee that will force him to miss several days of practice. Green hurt his left knee near the end of Cincinnati?s first practice of training camp on Thursday. Green said an MRI that found no structural damage.

Next Page >

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/56650040-77/rodgers-camp-peterson-training.html.csp

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Saturday, July 27, 2013

Pippa Middleton: SO Excited to Be an Aunt!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/07/pippa-middleton-so-excited-to-be-an-aunt/

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Miley Cyrus Poses Nude For Marc Jacobs' Skin Cancer Campaign ...

Miley Cyrus leaves Hannah Montana further behind each day. The ?We Can?t Stop? singer?s latest antic? Posing nude for a t-shirt to be sold in select Marc Jacobs boutiques as part of the designer?s Protect The Skin You?re In campaign. At least it?s for a good cause (all funds raised will go to the New York University Skin Cancer Institute) and she had the good sense to cover her privates with well-placed hands and lettering. Miley 2.0 is taking no prisoners!

Is this high-fashion garment on your shopping list? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: http://idolator.com/7473635/miley-cyrus-poses-nude-for-marc-jacobs-skin-cancer-campaign/

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