YAHOO LAUNCHES A NEW DEALS SITE, MAKING CHECK DEPOSITS USING
YOUR CELL PHONE CAMERA, AND GOOGLE VOICE COMES BACK TO THE
IPHONE....SORT OF. ITS MONDAY, AUGUST 10TH. I'M NATALI DEL CONTE
AND IT'S TIME TO GET LOADED.
[*]
YAHOO LAUNCHED YAHOO DEALS TODAY. IT IS A SITE WHERE YOU CAN
FIND DAILY DEALS AND COUPONS. THERE IS ALSO A SOCIAL ASPECT THAT
LETS YOU SHARE DEALS WITH YOUR FRIENDS OVER EMAIL OR OVER
YOUR SOCIAL NETWORKS. YOU CAN ALSO POST COMMENTS ON EACH
DEAL FOR OTHERS TO SEE. THERE IS ALSO A TWITTER FEED YOU CAN
FOLLOW SO YOU DON'T MISS A GREAT DEAL ON A DOWN COMFORTER. IT
IS TWITTER.COM/YAHOO_DEALS.
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ANOTHER IMPORTANT FIGURE IN U.S. CYBER SECURITY HAS STEPPED
DOWN. MISCHEL KWON, NOT THE ICE SKATER, THE DIRECTOR OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S U.S. COMPUTER EMERGENCY
READINESS TEAM, HAS RESIGNED. SHE WAS IN CHARGE OF PROTECTING
CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT COMPUTER NETWORKS. THIS FOLLOWS THE
RESIGNATION OF WHITE HOUSE CYBERSECUIRTY OFFICIAL MELISSA
HATHAWAY LAST WEEK. THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTS THAT KWON
WAS FRUSTRATED BY THE BUREAUCRATIC OBSTACLES AND LACK OF
AUTHORITY TO CARRY OUT HER IDEAS. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT
WOULD BE TOUGH. IF THAT IS TRUE, IT IS DISCOURAGING, BUT
NEVERTHELESS WE WISH HER THE BEST.
[*]
GOOGLE VOICE WILL BE COMING BACK TO THE IPHONE, BUT NOT AS A
REGULAR ITUNES APP. IT WILL BE A WEB APP THROUGH THE PHONE'S
SAFARI BROWSER. DAVID POGUE WROTE ABOUT THIS IN HIS NEW YORK
TIMES COLUMN. HE SAID THAT THE WEB APP WOULD BEHAVE EXACTLY
AS THE HOMESCREEN APP WOULD: CALLING, TEXTING, VIOCEMAIL, SMS,
ETC. GOOGLE HAS NOT CONFIRMED HOW CLOSE THIS PROJECT IS TO
COMPLETION.
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TIME TO GET CONTROVERSIAL. THE INTERNET GAMBLING DEBATE IS
BACK. A NEW BILL WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE SENATE LATE LAST WEEK
BY NEW JERSEY SENATOR ROBERT MENENDEZ. IT IS CALLED THE
INTERNET POKER AND GAMES OF SKILL REGULATION, PROTECTION, AND
ENFORCEMENT ACE. IT WOULD ALLOW E-GAMBLING COMPANIES THAT
ARE REGISTERED WITH THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT LEGALLY ACCEPT
BETS ON THE INTERNET. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE ALWAYS
BELIEVED SHOULD BE LEGALIZED, REGULATED, AND TAXED. I THINK IT IS
ABSURD THAT IT ISN'T NOW BECAUSE THE BAN JUST SENDS U.S. DOLLARS
OVERSEAS WHEN PEOPLE DO IT ANYWAY THROUGH OFFSHORE SITES.
MENENDEZ ESTIMATES THAT LEGALIZING ONLINE GAMBLING COULD
BRING IN UP TO $3 BILLION A YEAR IN TAXES TO OUR GOVERNMENT.
SEEMS LIKE A GOOD BET TO ME.
[*]
APPLE WON A CUSTOMER SHOWDOWN RECENTLY IN LAPTOP MAGAZINE
FOR HAVING THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE IN TECH SUPPORT. LAPTOP
MAGAZINE RATED 10 MANUFACTURERS AND GAVE THEM LETTER
GRADES. APPLE GOT AN A THIS YEAR, KEEPING THEIR GPA UP SINCE THEY
ALSO HAD A'S IN 2007 AND 2008. RIGHT BEHIND THEM WITH B+'S: TOSHIBA
AND SONY.
[*]
SPEAKING OF APPLE, A NEW BANK IS LETTING CUSTOMERS MAKE
DEPOSITS USING ITS IPHONE APPLICATION. CUSTOMERS OF USAA CAN
TAKE IMAGES OF THE FRONT AND BACK OF A CHECK AND SEND IT INTO
THE BANK FOR DEPOSIT. CUSTOMERS WON'T HAVE TO MAIL THE CHECK
LATER, THE ENTIRE DEPOSIT WILL BE ELECTRONIC. ONLY 60 PERCENT OF
THE BANK'S CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE GOOD CREDIT AND STANDING WITH
THE BANK WILL BE ELLIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM. IRONICALLY, THOSE
ARE THE PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY ALMOST NEVER SEE AN ACTUAL CHECK
AND HAVE ALL THEIR PAYCHECKS SENT OVER DIRECT DEPOSIT. STILL A
GOOD IDEA. IF ONLY THE IPHONE COULD WORK AS A FULLY FUNCTIONAL
ATM AND DISPENSE CASH NOW.
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IS 12 INCHES TOO BIG? GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER, I'M TALKING
ABOUT NETBOOKS OF COURSE!! DELL THINKS 12 INCHES IS TOO BIG FOR A
NETBOOK SO THE COMPANY IS GOING TO PHASE OUT THE DELL INSPIRON
MINI 12. I AGREE 12 INCHES IS TOO BIG. THAT IS NOT A NETBOOK. THAT IS
A LAPTOP. DELL WILL INSTEAD BRING BACK THE MINI 9 FOR $299. THE
MINI 10 WILL REMAIN ON THE MARKET AS IS.
[*]
A 15 YEAR OLD BOY DIED AFTER EXTREME INTERVENTION AT A CYBER
ADDICTION CAMP. POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE DEATH OF DENG
SENSHAN AFTER INJURIES WERE FOUND ALL OVER HIS BODY. FOUR
TRAINERS FROM THE CAMP HAVE BEEN DETAINED. SENSHAN HAD BEEN
ADMITTED TO THE CAMP FOR INTERNET ADDICTION BUT IT IS REPORTED
THAT THESE CAMPS ARE HIGHLY MILITANT. PATIENTS ARE MADE TO
REPLACE ONLINE TIME WITH PHYSICAL DRILLS OR OTHER
CONTROVERSIAL INTERVENTION METHODS. LAST MONTH ELECTRO-
SHOCK THERAPY WAS BANNED BUT CERTAINLY MORE TREATMENTS LIKE
THIS ARE BEING DEPLOYED. THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER. THIS ISN'T
1950'S MENTAL INSTITUTIONS WE ARE TAKLING ABOUT. THESE ARE
MODERN INSTITUTIONS DEALING WITH A MODERN PROBLEM. IT IS NO
LONGER A LAUGHING MATTER.
[*]
IF YOU LIVE IN BLACKHAWK COUNTY, IOWA, YOU CAN NOW TEXT
MESSAGE AN EMERGENCY TO 911. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA BUT
WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH IT IN PRACTICE TO SEE IF IT REALLY IS. FIRST
OFF, HOW TO YOU TELL THE REAL ONES FROM THE IDIOTS? THAT IS MUCH
EASIER ON THE PHONE THAN OVER TEXT. ALSO, CAN THE CARRIERS
PRIORITIZE 911 TEXTS? IF NOT, THEY SHOULD. AND IS 160 CHARACTERS
ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN AN EMERGENCY? I'M NOT SURE LIKE THE IDEA OF
THIS AND AM GLAD THAT AT LEAST ONE COUNTY IS WILLING TO TRY.
[*]
THOSE ARE ALL OF YOUR HEADLINES FOR TODAY . I WILL SEE YOU
TOMORROW WITH MORE. THANK YOU FOR WATCHING. I'M NATALI DEL
CONTE WITH CNET TV AND YOU'VE JUST BEEN LOADED.
