Internetnews.com: “Microsoft announced Tuesday that it is buying Internet communications provider Skype for some $8.5 billion in cash — the largest acquisition in the company’s history. The two companies said the deal was the result of an unsolicited offer from Microsoft and, if it passes regulatory hurdles, will make Skype a division of the software… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: May 2011
Symantec: Facebook Applications Accidentally Leaking Access to Third Parties
News release: “Third parties, in particular advertisers, have accidentally had access to Facebook users accounts including profiles, photographs, chat, and also had the ability to post messages and mine personal information. Fortunately, these third-parties may not have realized their ability to access this information. We have reported this issue to Facebook, who has taken corrective… Continue Reading
Law Enforcement Use of Global Positioning (GPS) Devices to Monitor Motor Vehicles: Fourth Amendment Considerations
CRS – Law Enforcement Use of Global Positioning (GPS) Devices to Monitor Motor Vehicles: Fourth Amendment Considerations, February 28, 2011 “As technology continues to advance, what was once thought novel, even a luxury, quickly becomes commonplace, even a necessity. Global Positioning System (GPS) technology is one such example. Generally, GPS is a satellite-based technology that… Continue Reading
Quarterly Coal Distribution Report- 4th Quarter 2010
“The Quarterly Coal Distribution Report (QCDR) provides detailed U.S. domestic coal distribution data by coal origin State, coal destination State, mode of transportation, and consuming sector. Quarterly data for all years are preliminary and will be superseded by the release of the corresponding Annual Coal Distribution Report.o Highlights fr the 4th Quarter of 2010: Total… Continue Reading
NYT Graphic: Is It Better to Buy or Rent?
“Whether renting is better than buying depends on many factors, particularly how fast prices and rents rise and how long you stay in your home. Compare the costs of buying and renting a home in the calculator below. Click the advanced settings button to change inputs such as your rate of return on investments, condo/common… Continue Reading
Science and the Reasonable Development of Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Resources in PA and NY
Science and the Reasonable Development of Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Resources in Pennsylvania and New York, Lynn Kerr McKay, Ralph H. Johnson, and Laurie Alberts Salita. Energy Law Journal, Vol. 32:125. “Investment in the development of natural gas resources in the Marcellus Shale formation1 continues to bring lower energy costs and new jobs to local… Continue Reading
Facts on the Production of the Congressional Record
FDLP Listserv: “On March 17, Public Printer Bill Boarman testified before the Senate appropriations subcommittee on the costs of producing Federal publications, such as the Congressional Record. Subsequently, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) made a YouTube video on the production of the Congressional Record to illustrate the production process for this important publication. With… Continue Reading
ABA – Farm Banks Increase Ag Loans in 2010
American Bankers Association: “Banks increased farm and ranch lending in 2010, providing the majority of all farm credit, according to the American Bankers Association Center for Agricultural & Rural Bankings annual Farm Bank Performance Review. In 2010, the U.S. banking industry held $127.4 billion in farm loans, which includes $68.7 billion in small farms loans… Continue Reading
Commentary: Germanys Unlikely Champion Of a Radical Green Energy Path
“The disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan convinced German Chancellor Angela Merkel that nuclear power would never again be a viable option for her country. Now Merkel has embarked on the worlds most ambitious plan to power an industrial economy on renewable sources of energy.” by Christian Schwägerl, May 9, 2011, Yale University Environment… Continue Reading
USDA: Federal Tax Policies and Low-Income Rural Households
Federal Tax Policies and Low-Income Rural Households, By Ron Durst and Tracey Farrigan, Economic Information Bulletin No. (EIB-76) 27 pp, May 2011 “The authors analyze the increasing use of refundable tax credits targeted to low- and moderate-income households in the Federal individual income tax and determine their implications for rural America. To identify rural and… Continue Reading
Mozilla: Homeland Security Request to Take Down MafiaaFire Add-on
Via Harvey Anderson…who works at Mozilla on legal and business affairs.” Homeland Security Request to Take Down MafiaaFire Add-on, May 5, 2011 – “From time to time, we receive government requests for information, usually market information and occasionally subpoenas. Recently the US Department of Homeland Security contacted Mozilla and requested that we remove the MafiaaFire… Continue Reading
CDC: Asthma in the US Growing every year
CDC Vital Signs, May 2011: “Asthma is a lifelong disease that causes wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. It can limit a person’s quality of life. While we don’t know why asthma rates are rising, we do know that most people with asthma can control their symptoms and prevent asthma attacks by avoiding asthma triggers… Continue Reading
