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Comment If there's anything left to save... (Score 5, Interesting) 15

by RAVasquez (#57141432) Attached to: Amazon In Running To Acquire Landmark Movie Chain

Maybe, just maybe, Amazon decided to do something right by the people of Seattle. Before Mark Cuban took over, Landmark was the best movie chain in town, with a whole suite of indie-minded theaters all over town; now, they're nearly all shut down, awaiting for the inevitable condos to sprout up over their ruins. I've been longing for some deep-pocketed local to pick up the Harvard Exit or Guild 45th and get them running again, as a hobby if not a major business opportunity.
Google

Thousands of Fake Google Maps Listings Redirect Users To Fraudulent Sites (bleepingcomputer.com) 36

Posted by BeauHD from the hook-line-and-sinker dept.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from BleepingComputer: Tens of thousands of fake listings are added to Google Maps each month, redirecting users to fraudulent websites selling phony or overpriced services, or are part of some referral scam. Researchers say that 74% of these abusive listings were for local businesses in the U.S. and India, mainly in pockets around certain local hotspots, especially in large metropolitan areas such as New York, Chicago, Houston, or Los Angeles. In most cases, the scheme was simple. A customer in need of a locksmith or electrician would search Google Maps for a local company. If he navigated to the website of a fake business or called its number, a call center operator posing as the business' representative would send over an unaccredited contractor that would charge much more than regular professionals. If a customer's situation were urgent, the contractor would often charge more than the initial agreed upon price. Researchers said that 40.3% of all the listings for fake companies they found focused on on-call services, such as locksmiths, plumbers, and electricians, and were for customers who were desperate to resolve issues. Further, overall, operators of fake listings managed to hijack 0.5% of Google Maps' outbound traffic for the studied period.

Comment User error (Score 1) 361

by RAVasquez (#45667087) Attached to: How long do your computer mice last?

My mice would last much longer if I could resist the urge to smack them against the monitor whenever my computer slows down. I know perfectly well that the mouse is blameless, but my lizard brain needs to SMASH something.
Image

Believing You Are Very Good Or Evil Boosts Your Physical Capabilities 192

Posted by samzenpus from the strength-of-heart dept.
Research by Kurt Gray, a doctoral student in psychology at Harvard, shows that a person's capacity for willpower and physical endurance increases if they perceive themselves as good or evil. "Evil" acts in particular give a person a large boost in physical strength. From the article: “'People perceive those who do good and evil to have more efficacy, more willpower, and less sensitivity to discomfort,' Gray said. 'By perceiving themselves as good or evil, people embody these perceptions, actually becoming more capable of physical endurance.' Gray’s findings run counter to the notion that only those blessed with heightened willpower or self-control are capable of heroism, suggesting instead that simply attempting heroic deeds can confer personal power."

Comment Re:Isn't this what bluetooth was supposed to handl (Score 1) 118

by RAVasquez (#28191603) Attached to: A Real-World Test of the Verizon MiFi

The Dial-Up Networking profile on most current VZW phones is enabled, so in theory you should be able to set up a connection through Bluetooth. This isn't officially supported, though, which means you're on your own setting it up. There's a BT profile compatibility chart at http://www.verizonwireless.com/bluetooth.

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