A Strong Start for the New Year

HE-MAN
Originally uploaded by misfiredpixels

Christmas is passing, and I am still relaxing. All that will stop soon, but for the rest of the day (rest of the week) I will make the most of this little pause. When things get started again, I'll be like He-Man. I'll get off my a$s, and there will be no breaks until early May.

I wish everyone the best of luck when it comes to the goals they make for the new year. We should probably all remember that resolutions need to be feasible. At the same time, the things that we make possible in dire circumstances can seem quite surprising. Myself, I'll have a lot of writing and praying to do. What will you be up to?

For the next 2 days, I'll be mustering my strength. I'm taking my vitamins, getting exercise, and staying happy.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to you all.

Happy Holidays

Rabanadas
Originally uploaded by misfiredpixels

I won't bother saying much here, but I want to wish everyone the best for the holidays. Eat, drink, be merry. Just don't drive after the 2nd part. For some this has been a rough year. Hopefully the New Year brings changes for many of us who need it. If 2009 was great for you, I hope you continue to find good fortune in the next.

Merry Xmas.

HP Face-Tracking Webcams Don't Recognize Black People [Webcams]

Wouldn't it be nice if the technology commonly used to lock people of color into cells were incompatible with blackness too? I wish the police couldn't tell if I were speeding. There has to be something that can make up for the fact that consumer electronics that recognize people have left me out. If only HP made security cameras too.



HP Face-Tracking Webcams Don't Recognize Black People [Webcams]: "
This is awkward. It appears that HP's new webcams, which have facial-tracking software, can't recognize black faces, as evidenced in the above video. HP has responded:

We are working with our partners to learn more. The technology we use is built on standard algorithms that measure the difference in intensity of contrast between the eyes and the upper cheek and nose. We believe that the camera might have difficulty 'seeing' contrast in conditions where there is insufficient foreground lighting.

[HP and Metafilter via The Daily What]

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In-the-Closet Lesbian Sues Netflix for Releasing Her Movie Preferences [Lawsuits]

It's unfortunate. Once you put something on the internet, expect it to become public information. I don't like the fact that this is how things work, but they do. Despite most people's discomfort with such a lack of privacy, I think that these conditions encourage us to behave nicely.

It works like this:
Regardless of my intentions/desires, I will be good. Why? I'm well behaved because I know that my actions are visible.

There is certainly nothing wrong with demanding ethical actions from corporations such as Netflix or Google. Really, we should continue to ask more of them. At the same time, Google reminds us daily that data and its traffic are responsible for making profits even if it makes individuals' lives transparent.

The sad thing is, this woman probably didn't even have facebook. If you have anything you're trying to hide, you know that Facebook is not the place for you. I guess watching too many movies in Netflix's Gay and Lesbian category will cause an uproar. I had no idea that my watching Brokeback Mountain would mean taking such a risk.

In-the-Closet Lesbian Sues Netflix for Releasing Her Movie Preferences [Lawsuits]: "
A mother of two, who also happens to be gay (and not broadcasting it), is anonymously suing Netflix for releasing her movie preferences in that contest they held awhile back. Basically, she's Borking them.
In the course of releasing boatloads of data to contestants in its 'Beat Netflix's Recommendation Algorithm' contest, they may not have disguised where that data came from as well as they should. The plaintiff, known here as Jane Doe to preserve privacy, alleges that her identity could be divined from the data, and thus threatens her civil right to privacy. Apparently, two researchers compared Netflix reviews to IMDB reviews and figured out some identities that way.
The suit seeks a cash settlement for each of the 2 million Netflix customers involved, and also seeks to stop the upcoming sequel to the original Netflix contest. We'll keep you updated on the suit—it's a pretty interesting one, for sure. [Wired]

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Purge

Purge
Originally uploaded by misfiredpixels

I recently got back from Philly where the American Anthropological Association had their annual meeting. Overall, the meeting went well. I enjoyed seeing some people I rarely have contact with, and I met some new people as well. It was more tiring than usual, since I volunteered as a photographer for Anthropology News. I ended up doing a lot more running around than I would have on my own. Still, I got to see some things that I would have probably missed otherwise.

But the work isn't done. There's much to do now that I am back. The conference was great for everyone needing a reason to get new ideas out into the public. Hopefully people got some decent feedback, and some encouragement for the work they'll be doing in the next year.