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December 11, 2016

Cadillac Casting Director Says Alt-Right Casting Call Was “Altered”

Cadillac started this weekend off in the middle of a PR crisis after a casting call went viral on social media looking for “Alt-right” Neo Nazis.

According to a casting call, the notice said the casting company The Cast Station was looking for “any and all real alt-right thinkers/believers.” The casting call says they are looking to film a commercial encompassing all types of people found in America.

The casting company, The Cast Station, took to Facebook to address the controversy by saying the casting call was a mistake and created by an employee was immediately fired. The casting company went on to say that a 3rd party altered the casting call without their knowledge and posted it on social medial.

“A casting notice for an “alt-right” role in a Cadillac commercial was issued by mistake on Friday, Dec 9th. The notice was drafted by an employee, who was immediately terminated for her actions,” the casting company said on Facebook. “Additionally an outside third party further altered the breakdown without our knowledge and posted it on social media. Cadillac unequivocally did not authorize this notice or anything like it, and we apologize to Cadillac for the ex-employee’s actions.”

Cadillac tried to handle the backlash on Twitter and on Facebook. “Cadillac did not authorize or approve a casting notice for an ‘alt-right (neo-nazi)’ role in a commercial. We unequivocally condemn the notice and are seeking immediate answers from our creative agency, production company and any casting companies involved.”

The alt-right, alternative right, is a Conservative extremist group that support white nationalism. The movement has been associated with white supremacy, homophobia and anti feminism. The movement, which is popular on anonymous message forums such as 4chan, generally support President-elect Donald Trump and Donald Trump’s attitude regarding immigration and political correctness.

Trump Calls Russia Hack ‘Ridiculous’

Business

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December 11, 2016

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In an extensive interview with Fox News, President-elect Donald Trump called the CIA report, which claim Russian hackers rigged the election, “ridiculous”.

Hacking is becoming more and more commonplace. HPE’s Business of Hacking report found hackers are becoming more organized and functioning like a legitimate business with their goal to earn as much money as possible by disrupting businesses. But, how does hacking impact U.S. politics? According to Donald Trump, the Russian hack is “just another excuse”.

Trump explains that he does not believe Russian hackers played any influence in the election. “I don’t believe it. Every week it’s another excuse. We had a massive landslide victory, as you know, in the Electoral College,” Trump added.

Donald Trump Signs — Stock Photo:
Manheim, PA – October 1, 2016: People enthusiastically wave Make America Great Again Signs at a Donald Trump campaign rally. (George Sheldon / Shutterstock.com)

Trump also really debated the credibility of the report saying that “hacking is very interesting. “Once they hack, if you don’t catch them in the act you’re not going to catch them. They have no idea if it’s Russia or China or somebody. It could be somebody sitting in a bed some place,” Trump argued.

Other than debating the merits of the CIA report, Donald Trump used the time to indirectly shed light on the future of America and how he plans to manage the country. One of the highlights of the interview was Trump’s decision to make daily intelligence briefings weekly instead of daily.

Central intelligence Agency — Stock Photo: LISBON, PORTUGAL – February 24, 2015, 2014: Photo of the cia central intelligence agency page on a monitor screen (Gil C / Shutterstock.com)

“These are very good people that are giving me the briefings. And I say, ‘If something should change from this point, immediately call me. I’m available on one-minute’s notice.’ I don’t have to be told—you know, I’m, like, a smart person. I don’t have to be told the same thing in the same words every single day for the next eight years. I don’t need that.”

Donald Trump’s interview and questions surrounding hacking and daily intelligence briefings follows a week of reports surrounding Russian and hackers. Last week, President Obama called for a report investigating whether or not hackers intervened in the 2016 election. In addition, multiple reports claim that Russia hacked political parties in order to assist Donald Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton.

President Obama — Stock Photo:
CHARLOTTE, NC, USA – JULY 5, 2016: President Barack Obama delivering a speech at the Charlotte Convention Center. (Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com)

The Washington Post published a report that suggests “the CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency.”

In addition, the report argues that Russia hacked the Republican National Committee along with the Democratic National Committee but did not leak information on Republicans in order to assist Donald Trump’s Presidential Campaign. If true, it remains to be seen if those e-mails could be leaked out to the public once, Donald Trump becomes president.

Russia Hack Vladimir Putin — Stock Photo: Moscow, Russia – November 24, 2015: Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian President) (Timofeev Sergey / Shutterstock.com)

Donald Trump’s response to these new reports and accusations? “Democrats are putting it out because they suffered one of the greatest defeats in the history of politics in this country.”

But, a bipartisan group of senators are not taking the Russia hack lying down. In a joint statement from Charles Schumer, John McCain, Jack Reed, and Lindsey Graham, the senators argued “more must be done.”

The senators continued by saying, “While protecting classified material, we have an obligation to inform the public about recent cyberattacks that have cut to the heart of our free society. Democrats and Republicans must work together, and across the jurisdictional lines of the Congress, to examine these recent incidents thoroughly and devise comprehensive solutions to deter and defend against further cyberattacks.”

Does Amazon Go Point to A Jobless Future?

Business

Jonathan Antonio

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December 11, 2016

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Does Amazon Go Point to A Jobless Future?

While the announcement of a retail concept without a checkout counter set the tech world abuzz; others were asking how this development would impact the labor market in the future. According to author and technologist, Martin Ford, Amazon Go ‘as not about reducing labor costs’. In fact, the concept could prove disruptive.

Stock Photo: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON/USA – NOVEMBER 2015: Amazon opens its first real life brick and mortar bookstore called Amazon Books in Seattle’s University Village

Amazon Go, which intends to test at a Seattle location has no registers and most of the stocking and replenishment would be conducted by robots and not people. While the concept is a godsend for people who hate standing in line, economists are asking deeper questions on what this means for the future of work.

A report released by the Council of Economic Advisers earlier this year found that nearly 83% of all workers making less than $20 per hour will see their jobs replaced by technology. Those making upwards of $40 per hour are somewhat safer, but the Council estimates that 31% of those making between $20 and $40 per hour will face disruption. The percentage falls to 4% for those making more than $40 per hour, but the report does not address a potential cutback in hours worked across the board.

These figures have signaled alarm bells as most economists and policy makers lack the tools to adequately measure how technology is disrupting the labor market. Some experts believe this was one reason for the popular anger which impacted this year’s election.

Amazon echo — Stock Photo: ORLANDO, FL – December 4, 2016: Amazon Echo, the voice recognition streaming device from Amazon. Currently available in two colors, black and white for a list price of $179.99. (George W. Bailey / Shutterstock.com)

With regards to Amazon Go, the company has only announced plans for a test store and it is unclear how ambitious plans are to expand. But Mr. Ford, who authored “Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future”, believes the utilization of technology to increase productivity, and profits is part of capitalism. He points to data from the Government, which show that manufacturing jobs are disappearing and that service sector jobs may be next on the chopping block.

In an effort to protect jobs, an IDC report predicted that robot-specific regulations will begin to be implemented by 2019 or sooner. But it is unlikely that this technology will slow developments in the underlying technology which is disrupting the current job market.

Amazon has said little publicly on what their retail store mean for job disruption and in fairness to the retail concept is still very much in the planning stage. However, the crux of the problem is this: does building a retail network without jobs, help support the customer base which is needed to keep the retail network functioning? It is unclear how this will work out and as companies like Amazon increasingly support disruptive technologies they will have to answer these questions.

Monkeys Have the Vocal Cords to Talk, Lack the Brain Power

Business

Megan Diane

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December 10, 2016

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Monkeys Have the Vocal Cords to Talk, Lack the Brain Power

Monkeys have the physiology to talk but lack the brain to do it, according to a new study. Researchers examined how monkeys moved their their vocal chords with X-rays, to understand how monkeys communicate. Scientists compared those results to what it would sound like if monkeys could talk and say “Will You Marry Me”. The results of the study revealed that monkeys have the physiology to talk like humans but, like the brain power to do so.

Researchers have long believed that monkeys were unable to talk like humans because they lacked the anatomy to do so. But, a new study published in the journal “Science Advances” suggest that the macaque monkey does have the anatomy to communicate like a human. However, their limitations are marked by their decreased brain power.

Monkeys Can Talk — Stock Photo: Bukit Merah, Malaysia – 23 Jun 2015 : Tourist taking picture of baby Orang Utan at Orang Utan Conservation Island in Bukit Merah, Perak. (Abd. Halim Hadi / Shutterstock.com)

University of Vienna cognitive biologist and researcher in the talking money study, Tecumseh Fitch, argues that anatomical physiological limitations are just a myth. “My colleagues and I all get very tired of seeing this. But you see it in all the textbooks. Lots of popular books, and also scholarly books about the evolution of language, assume that in order to evolve speech we had to have massive changes in our vocal tract. ”

Fitch and his team of researchers analyzed a macaque monkey named Emiliano and discovered the monkey was able to make five different vowel sounds, which are the most common vowels in human languages from around the world. Ultimately, Fitch asserts a monkey’s inability to hold full-long conversations comes from monkey’s brain circulatory system.

Fitch argues that a monkey’s brain does not have direct connections from the brain to the parts that control communication such as the vocal chords. The lack of a complete and direct connection system, which makes it difficult for monkeys to reiterate what humans are saying.

“As soon as you had a brain that was ready to control the vocal tract,” Fitch says, “the vocal tract of a monkey or nonhuman primate would be perfectly fine for producing lots and lots of words.”

Scientists Discover a 255-Million Year Old Tumor

Business

Megan Diane

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December 10, 2016

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Scientists Discover a 255-Million Year Old Tumor

On Thursday, University of Washington researchers discovered the earliest known evidence of a tumor. More specifically, a 255-million year old compound odontoma, a type of tumor found in growing in the gums, inside of a prehistoric mammal.

The tumor was discovered in the lower-jaw of a gorgonopsid, a predecessor to modern day mammal. The study was published this week in the Journal of the American medical Association Oncology.

Program director at the National Science Foundation’s Division of Earth Sciences, Judy Skog announced in a news release the results of the study. “Until now, the earliest known occurrence of this tumor was about one million years ago, in fossil mammals,” Judy Skog confirmed. “The discovery suggests that the suspected cause of an odontoma isn’t tied solely to traits in modern species, as had been thought.”

Gorgonopsians existed 255 million years ago and are considered a type of synapsid, a mixture between reptiles and mammals and contain physical features of both animals.

The lead author in the study, Megan Whitney, explained “To understand when and how our mammalian features evolved, we have to study fossils of synapsids like the gorgonopsians.”

Odontoma’s are a type of tumor that results in regular dental tissue developing abnormally. Typically, dental tissue will start growing in the jaw causing damage and pain to the jawline. A compound odontoma is the formation of dental tissue but, without actual denticles, individual teeth. Teenagers are the ones to get diagnosed with Odontoma.

This discovery coincides with a recent study published in the journal of “Current Biology” that dinosaurs may have evolved more slowly than previously thought.

Dinosaur Fossils — Stock Photo: LONDON, UK – DECEMBER 11: Visitor looking at pliosaur fossilised skeleton at the Natural History Museum. December 11, 2014 in London. (Nando Machado / Shutterstock.com)

Fossil remains of 230-million-year old dinosaur were discovered in Brazil suggesting two different dinosaurs and dinosaur precursors – early evolved species- lived alongside each other for millions of years. Suggesting evolution was a gradual progression.

Max Langer at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil released a statement regarding the findings, “We now know for sure that dinosaurs and dinosaur precursors lived alongside one another and that the rise of dinosaurs was more gradual, not a fast overtaking of other animals of the time. The fossils also show that the first dinosaurs likely fed on “all kinds of small animals, but most probably not plants,” Langer said in a journal news release.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg May Have His Eyes on Politics

Business

Jonathan Antonio

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December 10, 2016

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Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg May Have His Eyes on Politics

Earlier this year Facebook’s board of directors was sued after investors claimed that they were not working in their favor. The lawsuit stems from the fact that the Facebook’s board of directors allowed the company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, to sell a majority of his shares but, still maintain majority control and voting rights in the social media company.

According to reports, court filings show that text messages sent by Facebook board member Marc Andreessen suggest he was working in favor of Zuckerberg. Private messages including “this line of argument is not helping” have given several investors the impression he was helping the CEO instead of working on behalf of investors.

Mark Zuckerberg Facebook — Stock Photo: DEAUVILLE, FRANCE – MAY 26, 2011 : Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Press conference at the summit G8/G20 about new technologies – Deauville, France on May 26 2011 (Frederic Legrand – COMEO / Shutterstock.com)

Zuckerberg holds a majority share of Facebook voting rights. At the time, Zuckerberg wanted to sell off shares of his stock in order to fund his Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a program that makes investments to fund two major goals “advancing human potential and promoting equal opportunity.” But, he did not want to lose voting control in Facebook. Consequently, Zuckerberg suggested creating a new class of stock for himself, to make that happen.

Three board members were then put in place to represent investors. They were put in place to decide whether Zuckerberg’s request was fair to investors and shareholders. Ultimately, the special committee agreed in favor of Zuckerberg’s new class of stock granting Zuckerberg the opportunity to sell $32.7 billion in stock.

Mark Zuckerberg Facebook Government — Stock Photo: DEAUVILLE, FRANCE – MAY 26, 2011 : Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Press conference at the summit G8/G20 about new technologies – Deauville, France on May 26 2011 (Frederic Legrand – COMEO / Shutterstock.com)

With that being said, the lawsuit argues that the new type of stock actually diluted shareholder’s power and votes over the future of Facebook.

Marc Andreessen was one of the board members selected to be a part of the special committee. Andreessen, who was the cofounder of Netscape and later became a Silicon Valley investor, is accused of engaging in a conflict of interest, asserting he coached Zuckerberg while serving on the special committee.

The text messages shared details about the possibility of Zuckerberg working in the government while still retaining control of Facebook. Andreessen texted Mark Zuckerberg in March on how to maintain a balance between government service and Facebook saying: “how to define the gov’t service thing without freaking out shareholders that you are losing commitment,” one text sent by Andreessen said.

Stock Photo: BARCELONA – FEBRUARY 22: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaking at the Mobile World Congress on February 22, 2016, Barcelona, Spain. (catwalker / Shutterstock.com)

Andreessen later texted, “I think the biggest remaining issue is still around the government service.”

News of Zuckerberg engaging in politics is not new. In the past, Zuckerberg argued for worldwide access to faster internet. In addition, Mark Zuckerberg hosted a fundraiser for Donald Trump supporter, former head of Trump’s transition team and governor of New Jersey Chris Christie. Also, Zuckerberg previously donated $100 million towards Newark’s school system.

Donald Trump Mark Zuckerberg Facebook — Stock Photo: ASTON, PA – SEPTEMBER 22, 2016: Portrait view of Donald Trump pointing as he delivers a campaign speech at Sun Center Studios. (Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com)

But, Zuckerberg’s ties to politics extend beyond his commitments to faster internet access and higher quality education in the Newark’s classrooms. One of Facebook’s board members, Peter Theil is reportedly bringing Silicon Valley colleagues to meet with Donald Trump’s transition. It is important to note that Theil gained national attention after reports surfaced he was the secret bankroller behind the lawsuit that forced Gawker into bankruptcy, was also a Republican National Convention keynote speaker and avid supporter of Donald Trump, telling the world during the RNC: “When Donald Trump asks us to Make America Great Again, he’s not suggesting a return to the past. He’s running to lead us back to that bright future.”

Google’s Pixel Phone Gaining Share in Pre-Holiday Sales

Business

Reginald Edward

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December 10, 2016

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Google’s Pixel Phone Gaining Share in Pre-Holiday Sales

Sales of Google’s latest smartphone, Pixel, kicked off well in pre-holiday sales following the phone’s release in October. All told, both Pixel models accounted for roughly 0.5% of phone sales in the U.S. for the period ending on October 31. While the sales data does not sound impressive when compared to that of Apple or Samsung, the Pixel results helped Google to pull even with sales of Microsoft’s flagging smartphone and Chinese handset maker Huawei.

Another point which is could be overlooked by some is that the Pixel was not released until October 20. This means that the published sales totals were achieved in 11 days, compared to three months for the other brands. Director of Global Consumer insights at Kantar, Lauren Guenveur, noted that Apple sold nearly 41% of the new phones over the same period.

Stock Photo: CHESHIRE, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 15, 2016: Google Pixel Phone on screen of an NVidia Shield Android Tablet (Paul Stringer / Shutterstock.com)

Based on estimates, Google should sell between 3 to 5 million new phones in the Fourth quarter – Apple is expected to sell nearly 80 million iPhones in the same period. What is interesting for industry analysts is whether Google’s latest smartphone entry will continue to gain share in the market. If so, the this could complicate the internet company’s relationship with other handset makers such as LG and Samsung who rely on Google’s Android operating system to power their devices.

The Pixel is the seventh-generation smartphone released by Google and was manufactured by Taiwanese handset maker HTC. While the fact that Google has released previous smartphones does not raise any red flags with the company’s Android partners, the aggressive marketing may ruffle some feathers.

The segment has been something which Google has always shown an interest. In 2012, the company acquired Motorola and its patents for $12.5 billion and many industry analysts felt that would be used to compete head-to-head with Apple. However, the Motorola acquisition never amounted to much and in 2014, the company sold Motorola to Lenovo for $2.9 billion.

Google Motorola — Stock Photo: SANTA CLARA,CA/USA – MAY 11, 2014: Motorola headquarters and sign in Silicon Valley. Motorola is a technology and telecommunications company owned by Google. (Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com)

As mentioned, Google released two models of the Pixel phone in late-October – a 5-inch and a 5.5-inch version. Since then consumers have been flocking to the phones due to the number of added features they offer such as the voice-activated personal assistant and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 chip, which is one of the fasted on the market. Reviewers also scored the phone quite highly, comparing some of the features to Apple’s iPhone 7.

Google Pixel Marketing — Stock Photo: London, 31st October 2016 – An advert for the Pixel by Google Android powered smartphone is displayed behind the glazed exterior of the BFI’s IMAX cinema in Waterloo (Martin Hoscik / Shutterstock.com)

An exclusive distribution deal with Verizon has also aided sales of the Pixel as subscribers of competing cell networks needed to switch carriers or purchased the phones from Best Buy or directly from Google. One thing which is not known is whether the company will continue to sustain the marketing campaign, which helped to raise awareness. Industry analysts say that the company may have spent $100 million or more as part of the Pixel marketing campaign and an open question is whether sales will continue to grow without the marketing support.

Shares of Google closed up 1.8% at $809.45 on Friday.

Toys Accused of Spying on Children

Business

Jonathan Antonio

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December 10, 2016

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My Friend Cayla dolls and I-Que Intelligent Robot toys are recording children and putting them at risk, according to a consumer watchdog group.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) teamed up with the Commercial Free Childhood, the Center for Digital Democracy and the Consumers Union to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission over the toy’s ability to spy on children.

My Friend Cayla and I-Que Robot, which are manufactured by Genesis Toys, use technology that is responds to person’s voice. The toys were designed to allow for a child to talk to the toy, and the toy would talk back. Behind the scenes, the toy would record what the child has said, convert that information into text, and via the Internet, the toy would respond back to the kid. The voice-recognition software program used to make this happen is called Nuance – a program that is used by the military and intelligence agencies.Consumer watchdog groups argue in their complaint that Genesis Toys does not obtain consent from parents prior to collecting data of children’s voices. And that is a violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, according to the complaint.

“Both Genesis Toys and Nuance Communications unfairly and deceptively collect, use, and disclose audio files of children’s voices without providing adequate notice or obtaining verified parental consent,” Epic complaint says.

The FTC complaint also argues that Genesis failed to provide security measures to prevent people from eavesdropping on children’s conversation and that “creates a substantial risk of harm because children may be subject to predatory stalking or physical danger.”

The executive director of the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, Josh Golin, released a statement against Genesis toys arguing that children form personal relationships with their toys therefore, it is important the data that is collected “not be used for manipulative and sneaky marketing.”

The complaint also argues that the toy is used as a way to sell products to young children.

“My Friend Cayla is pre-programmed with dozens of phrases that reference Disneyworld and Disney movies. For example, Cayla tells children that her favorite movie is Disney’s The Little Mermaid and her favorite song is ‘Let it Go,’ from Disney’s Frozen. Cayla also tells children she loves going to Disneyland and wants to go to Epcot in Disneyworld.”

COPPA requires websites or online services directed to kids under the age of 13 to give parents more control over the information websites are able to collect from their kids. The rule was placed in effect three years ago and provides additional protections and regulations companies need to follow.

The My Friend Cayla doll and I-Que Intelligent Robot toy are currently for sale at Amazon for $59 and $126, respectively. Released in 2015, the first My Friend Cayla doll sold millions of dolls.

Why Netflix Might Be in Trouble

Business

Jonathan Antonio

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December 9, 2016

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The stock market is currently on a high which we have not seen since the dot-com days of the 1990’s. Dow 20,000 is no longer out of the realm of possibility – currently at 19,664 – and the exuberance on Wall Street is palpable.

However, Netflix may end up left out in the cold. The company, which killed blockbuster and is doing its best to kill cable TV, seems like an odd candidate to be the ugly duckling. But if the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) changes its stance on net neutrality, it is could end up having a profound impact on the company’s financial position.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) — Stock Photo: WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 15: U.S. Federal Communications Commission Headquarters in Washington, DC on February 15, 2015. (Mark Van Scyoc / Shutterstock.com)

Net Neutrality is a concept where internet service providers (ISP) must treat all the information on their networks equality. In this case, neutrality means impartiality. Per the findings of Global Internet Phenomena Report, content providers like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video account for more than half of all internet traffic in the U.S.

This is a big deal to companies such as AT&T, Comcast, and Time Warner who are the nation’s largest ISPs. These companies view video streaming sites as a burden on their networks and they openly complain about the fact that Netflix and others do very little to pay for network upgrades, which help to make their content available to millions of users.

This brings us back to the FCC, which ruled in early-2015 that the internet will remain open for the time being. The decision was hailed by a coalition of technology companies (Netflix, Google, Amazon, Facebook) and consumer advocates. But then came the Election of 2016, which according to industry analysts means Net Neutrality could once again come up for review.

This is especially true as the presumptive President-Elect’s picks to the FCC come from the telecoms industry. In previous comments on the issue, Jeff Eisenach and Mark Jamison have voiced their opposition to net neutrality. In fact, Mr. Eisenach even went so far to label the concept a form of ‘crony capitalism’.

Netflix Comic-Con — Stock Photo: SAO PAULO – DECEMBER 1, 2016: Netflix booth in Sao Paulo Comic Con Experience, the annual pop culture and fandom convention in Brazil. (Beto Chagas / Shutterstock.com)

While the U.S. remains the largest market for Netflix, a reversal on Net Neutrality would impact the company in four ways. First, it would have an almost immediate impact on the quality of service users enjoy. Second, this could lead to higher monthly subscription rates, which could drive an exodus of subscribers. Third, higher costs would lead to lower profits. Four, many countries may take the FCC’s lead and adopt similar rules regarding Net Neutrality. If this were to happen then companies like Netflix would be facing a dramatically altered landscape, one which may threaten the growth of their industry.

Whether one believe the debate over Net Neutrality is a question of consumer rights or crony capitalism, the reality is that the fight is really between two multi-billion dollar industries (technology and communications) over who will control the profits in this space.

Shares of Netflix were trading down .64% on Friday morning at $122.57.

Memory and Fear Affected By Breathing Rhythm, Study Says

Business

Brent Edward

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December 9, 2016

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Memory and Fear Affected By Breathing Rhythm, Study Says

Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered the way people breathe has an impact on their memory and fear response. And it all depends on whether you are inhaling or exhaling through your nose.

Published in the “Journal of Neuroscience” lead author and professor of neurology, Jay Gottfried, discovered individuals were able to remember something if they see an object while they inhaled versus when they exhaled. However, the difference in memory was negated if the individual was breathing through their mouth.

In addition, researchers revealed that fear responses was also impacted by inhaling through the nose. To test emotional judgement, researchers asked test subjects to look at several different faces. The results of the study showed subjects were more likely to identify a fearful face, if they saw the face while they were inhaling in comparison to exhaling.

How did researchers at Northwestern University make this discovery? It all started with epileptic patients. Seven individuals diagnosed with epilepsy were to undergo brain surgery. Prior to the surgery, neurosurgeons implanted a device to measure the electrical activity inside the patient’s brain to determine the reason why the seizures were taking place.

That is when researchers made a discovery, electrical activities in the brain’s amygdala, which is known for regulating fight or flight responses in humans and animals, and the hippocampus, which is associated with memory function, changed based upon the patient’s breathing rhythm.

Researchers then analyzed the breathing rhythms and their fear response of sixty subjects. Scientists showed pictures of faces with different facial expressions. Meanwhile, researchers recorded their breathing rhythm. When the test subjects encountered a picture of someone who is afraid, they were more quickly to identify that picture when they inhaled in comparison to when they exhaled.

In order to test the hippocampus and the relationship between breathing and memory, the same subjects were then shown pictures of objects and then asked to recall those objects. Researchers discovered the subjects were more likely to remember the object if they saw it while they inhaled in comparison to when they exhaled.

Ultimately, Northwestern University researchers argue that rapid-breathing could help with memory and emotional responses in treacherous situations.

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