Some 12,000 Americans lose their laptops at airports every year, according to a Ponemon Institute study reported here.

Still, let's get it in context. The study was sponsored by Dell which is using these revelations to sell services that's supposed to help people protect their laptops and the data on them. More details of this offering here.

But is that enough? Chris Matyszczyk at CNET News offers some alternative solutions: Ritalin, Xanax and Johnny Walker.

By:  leon                        Source

It's when someone, a company or a person, do something to make a change in the environment. JustMeans has found a way to use social networking for just this cause. On JustMeans people are coming together and joining forces to make the world a better place.

Companies and individuals can use JustMeans to make changes. Whether they want to change their company for the better by initiating green technology or implement a policy to inhibit climate change, JustMeans can help them get started. As people join together to make environmental changes, changes can be made.

By:  Linda Roeder                        Source

Advertising Vs Reality - A Product Comparison Project is a study by a German website of 100 different products by comparing the look of the products as shown by the packaging with the actual contents inside the boxes.

The study shows that the real product doesn”t always look like the picture on the box.

By:  Gerard                        Source

FrostFrench, the label founded by Sadie Frost and Jemima French has been ordered to pay out £5,000 to an ex-employee who claims she was unfairly dismissed because of her race.

Aba Yankah who is of African origin was initially hired via a recruitment company last November as a temp for the company’’s store in London’’s Burlington Arcade. After a number of friendly calls with the stores shop manager, the sales assistant claims everything changed on her first day when they met for the first time.

By:  Source

The other day I was writing about Porsche's 60th birthday and now I'm extolling the 80th anniversary of the Ford Model A. What a difference 20 years made in the development of the automobile! To celebrate the Model A's birthday a number of owners around the world have declared Saturday, July 26, 2008 as International Model A Day. Thousands of Model A Ford restorers and preservers will be taking their cars for a drive, socializing with other enthusiasts and showing the world the car that replaced the Model T. Activities will be arranged by local clubs in all fifty states and some thirty other countries including Canada. Some will simply be driving to picnics or coffee meets; others will participate in shows and contests. Many are expected to coordinate their activities with local Ford dealers. So wherever you are in this world, if you own a Model A or just enjoy seeing them, make a note of the date and be sure to celebrate one of the world's most-loved motor cars.

[Photo + Car: Richard Barszczweski]

By:  Philip Powell                        Source

These aren't even the only hot dogs in the world that are covered in mashed potatoes and veggies! I was watching Anthony Bourdain and thought it was pretty cool that Swedish hot dogs (Tunnbrod rulleor?) are wrapped in a special flat bread, slathered in mash and crab salad, and shredded veggies, too. Wow.

The other place that I now of that has mashed potato covered dogs is Brazil. Any others that you know of, and would you dare try one?

By:  Meieli Sawyer Deton                        Source

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Ugur Evirgen

In a HedgeCo story, online database and analysis service provider DataMonitor predicts strong growth in funds of hedge funds over the next year, with less demand for single hedge funds.

In their report, 'Hedge Funds in Europe 2008', surveys show that asset managers in Spain and Italy believe most strongly that the demand for funds of hedge funds will outstrip that for single hedge funds, followed by France, Germany and finally the UK.

Across the five core economies in Western Europe - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - institutional investors now dominate the market for hedge funds. On average, slightly more than two-thirds of asset managers confirmed that this group represents their biggest customer segment for hedge funds today.

40% of asset managers in Italy say mass market investors may also be put off by the price of hedge fund investment. In Spain, on the other hand, demand from mass market clients is being limited by competition from capital-protected and structured products and inadequate promotion of hedge fund products by banks and advisers.

The report presents views on the market for hedge fund investment based on a survey of 100 leading asset managers across Europe.

By:  Alex Akesson                        Source

© photo_by

Sony plans to expand their high definition LCD Bravia television line to over 30 products. They recently announced plans to release new products ranging from sizes 40 to 70 inches.

The new Bravia products will all have 1080p display and include Sony XBR which features; Digital Media Extender (DMeX), Motionflow and x.v. Color support. The new models will also feature Digital Media Port (DMP) technology.

The Sony Bravia model key feature is the 'Triluminos' local-dimming feature which claims superior contrast compared to plasma televisions. Unfortunately, the feature will only be available in the 55-inch KDL-55XBR8 and 46-inch KDL-46XBR8 models. According to a recent post on Twice, Triluminos LED backlighting expands an LCD TV's color range by using a cluster of red, green, and blue LEDs to replace a single white LED to backlight the display panel. Local dimming improves video contrast and dynamic range by reducing backlight levels area by area on the display to maintain detail in dark areas of the screen during a scene. The reduced light emissions yield deep blacks and reduce power consumption.

Sound like the right 1080p HDTV for you? Please comment back and let us know.

-itsTripple

By:  Tripple                        Source

Right. Because Kewpie dolls aren”t scary or weird enough on their own, Strapya World took it upon themselves to offer the strangest assortment of 1.57-inch Kewpie cell phone charms the world has ever seen.

There’’s the one that’’s in the process of melting into a puddle, the anorexic one, the fat one, the sperm one (yes, you read that right), and the one called simply “Gross Q.” Not only am I about to lose my lunch, but I”m also quite shocked at how big those brains are.

Available now for about $6 each.

Via Shiny Shiny.

By:  Sarah                        Source

Almost everyone that you know is probably on a social networking sites. MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn …. if you do anything online then you're probably signed up with one of these sites. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you're dating on them. Should you be?

Social networking sites can be used for all different kinds of things. Most people who go on them are interested in staying in touch with old friends. Increasingly, people are also using these sites to network professionally in search of jobs or to build their small businesses by attracting clients. So it's not necessarily true that someone on a social networking site is interested in dating.

However, since there are so many people using these sites, a certain number of them are certainly interested in dating. Some people say that they prefer to meet people on social networking sites rather than on online dating sites because it gives them a chance to get to know people on a different level. When you're on a dating site, you talk mostly about dating. On a social networking site, you may cover dating along with a plethora of other topics.

On the other hand, you may develop a crush on someone in your social networking circle only to discover that they aren't interested in dating at all. That doesn't happen on an online dating site since everyone who is there is there to possibly date someone else. So the broader pool of people that you can find on an online dating site may actually be too broad.

Like with anything else, there are pros and cons to using either a social networking site or a dating site to meet people. Those folks who are serious about trying to find a date may discover that their luck is best when they use both types of sites to get results.

Question of the Day: Do online dating sites or social networking sites work better for you?

By:  Kathryn Vercillo                        Source