Danger! Brits Text While Walking, Hit Faces on Lamp Posts
Online Search Engine Tracking You?
Americans Rank Most- and Least-Favored Nations
American Idol Sang In TSA Choir
BRITS TEXT WHILE WALKING, HIT FACES ON LAMP POSTS - InformationWeek
Yes, you read that headline right. Text messaging—not stumbling home after getting tanked at a pub—is causing Brits to be so focused that they do not notice the imposing lampposts, bollards and garbage cans when they are strolling on the sidewalk. Alarmingly, 6 million of them were injured last year because of their “Crackberry” addiction. More than 10 citizens last year suffered “walk and text” wounds, such as broken noses and even fractured skulls. The study reports that 63 percent of Brits admit to becoming distracted when texting. The mounting injuries have concerned London ’s Brick Lane area so much so that it is installing protective pads on lamp posts. Twenty-five percent of the 1,055 people polled thought it a good idea to create “mobile lanes.”
Link: InformationWeek
ONLINE SEARCH ENGINE TRACKING YOU? – The New York Times
Next time you search for an airfare on Alaska Airlines’ Web site, the result you receive will be designed specifically for you. The carrier is introducing an Internet system that will create unique ads for customers when they surf the Web. As the person clicks past airline’s ads, an ad quickly will assemble as the Web page loads. Marston Gould, a former engineer at NASA and the brain behind the system, has worked with the airline for five years and currently is the director of customer relationship management and online marketing. The system will generate an ad based on the person’s geographic location, the number of times that person has viewed an Alaska Airlines ad and if the person visited the company’s Web site.
Link: The New York Times
AMERICANS RANK MOST- AND LEAST-FAVORED NATIONS - Gallup
According to Gallup ’s 2008 World Affairs survey, of 22 countries rated, at least 80 percent of Americans favor Canada , Great Britain , Germany , and Japan . Iraq , the Palestinian Authority, North Korea , and Iran win the favor of no more than 20 percent. Since 1989, Canada and Great Britain have topped the rankings for each of the 12 times the countries were measured. Australia is the only other country to receive 90-percent favorability throughout the years. Around six out of 10 Americans view Egypt , South Korea , and Mexico favorably. A large percentage of Americans, 21 percent, have no opinion of Kenya .
Link: Gallup
AMERICAN IDOL SANG IN TSA CHOIR - TMZ
Chikezie, one of the 24 contestants on American Idol, was once an “idol” at Terminal 4 at Los Angeles International Airport . When he was working for Transportation Security Administration as a bag screener, he also participated in the TSA Choir, and a TSA manager played backup keyboard for Santana back in the 1960s. If Chikezie succeeds in Idol, perhaps he will surpass his manager’s accomplishments. Although his coworkers said he was a great employee, he listened to his iPod when he screened luggage.
Link: TMZ
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