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‘Family Tree Now’ Shares a Large Amount of Your Personal Info

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Since before Facebook existed, websites have existed on the inter-webs that compiled personal information and allowing users to search through it.

Nowadays, hackers work in groups to break into websites to collect personal information such as passwords, e-mail address and security questions. But, what if I told you that a website one website is making international headlines because it is making it easier for anyone to search personal information of people for free without ever making an account.

According to the Washington Post, FamilyTreeNow.com collects personal information from public records, then the website compiles that information creating profiles on people that includes a large array of personal details including their age, date of birth, family members, phone numbers and addresses. Because the website is so easily accessible and provides so much information, there have been privacy concerns about the website.

How to opt-out from Family Tree Now:

If you are interested in opting out of Family Tree Now here’s what you have to do:

  1. Search for your name and profile
  2. Click the opt-out button

While the website allows people to opt-out, the Washington Post reports that getting your request through to the website owners is not that easy.

It’s important to note that Family Tree Now is not the only website that shares personal information with their users. Other websites have the same features but, the main difference is that Family Tree Now does not require a membership, subscription or login to use their features.

This is not the first time privacy concerns have drawn a lot of controversy. Earlier this year, there have several websites have been hacked including Yahoo, which led to one of the biggest hacks in history with over 1 billion accounts breached.

Holiday Sales Report Reveals New Record Highs

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Consumer sentiment is at an all time high just days before Donald Trump becomes inaugurated. In addition, Amazon revealed their holiday sales were a Christmas miracle as sales for the Amazon Alexa virtual assistants increased by over 900%. Now, a new report by the National Retail Foundation reveals a holiday sales increase that is higher than expectations.

According to the National Retail Federation, holiday sales from November and December have increased by 4% in comparison to 2015, resulting in a total of $658.3 billion. The Retail Federation explained that the rise in holiday shopping illustrates consumers were more encouraged to spend their money than before. Ultimately, $112.9 billion were spent in non-store sales, resulting in a near 13% percent rise from 2015’s numbers. In addition, the National Retail Foundation revealed that the holiday sales shopping numbers were higher than they initially expected.

 

NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay explained that these numbers show that America’s economic recovery is picking up. “Retail mirrors the economy. And while there might have been some bumps in the road for individual companies, the retail industry overall had a solid holiday season and retailers will work to sustain this in the year ahead.”

NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said in a statement, “Economic indicators were up, retailers offered great deals, confidence improved and all of that empowered consumers to spend more.”

However, it is important to point out that electronics and appliance stores suffered a 2.3% decrease in sales in comparison to 2015. Also, department stores decreased by 7.0% unadjusted from last year.

The drop in department store sales is not that surprising. Earlier this month, Macy’s announced that they were going to cut 10,000 jobs after suffering weak holiday sales. The company explained that it was part of their plan to cut costs and close 100 stores after that their sales dropped 2.1% in comparison to last year’s holiday season.

YouTube Announces a New Feature: Super Chat

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In an effort to make it easier for YouTube content creators to share and connect with their audience, YouTube has announced a new tool called Super Chat.

What is YouTube’s Super Chat feature?

According to the website, Super Chat allows for anyone watching a live-stream broadcast the ability to purchase a highlighted message in the chatroom that stand out from the rest of the other chat messages. The goal of this new feature is to make that Super Chat message stand out and capture the live-streamer’s attention. In addition, Super Chat messages remained pinned to the top of the page for up to 5 hours.

Super Chat
(Image Credit: Youtube.com)

YouTube explains that this new feature allows for more meaningful connections between YouTuber’s and their community of followers. The program has already launched for popular YouTubers including iHasCupquakeGreat Library (buzzbean11) and Alex Wassabi. In addition, the program will be launched across the YouTube app starting January 31st for content creators in 20 different countries.

Live-Streaming is becoming a big business model. Earlier this week Facebook announced their Journalism Project, which included a set of initiatives that will help stop fake news and benefit journalists. One of the programs included rolling advertisements in between video content published by journalists. Something Mark Zuckerberg’s social media company has yet to offer to their billion users.

In addition, one of YouTube’s competitors, Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, announced a plan to expand their business. At the moment, Twitch is targeted towards video gamers with live-streams of popular video games taking place 24 hours a day. However, Twitch is looking to take over the live-streaming market with a new section called “IRL”. In this section, streamers can share the live real-life experiences in real time with their followers. That means, for example, when a Twitch streamer is on vacation they can easily broadcast their experiences live with the world. In the process, followers can tip, donate, or even pay to subscribe to the Twitch user.

Update (Tuesday, January 17, 2017): Updated the story to reflect that Twitch is a subsidiary of Amazon and not Microsoft.

You Can Now Book an Uber with Google Maps

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Getting an Uber has just gotten a lot easier.

Google is not only working on self-driving cars, the company is also making it easier for people to use ride-sharing services via their Maps app.

On Thursday, Google announced on their website a new ride services mode on the Google Maps app. The company explains that the new feature will make it more easier for people to get to where they need to go.

The new features include a carousel that features several different ride options and more information. In fact, the new feature will include a map featuring all of the ride service providers in the area. Along with a list of promotions and special offers.

In addition, Google announced Uber riders can book a ride through the Google Maps app. After an Uber user logs into their account, they can book an Uber, track the driver on the map, and connect with the driver from within the Google Maps app. Moreover, Google Maps update also allows for Uber rides to look up information about their destination along the way.

Google has been actively working on the Google Maps application to enhance the utility of the application by providing more features that other direction software apps do not have. For example, earlier this year Google Maps allowed for Google Maps users to book reservations and even schedule fitness classes via the the app.

Uber is also actively working on their business model. Earlier this week, Uber released a new website called Movement. Uber Movement’s opens the company’s private data information to researchers, city officials, and educational institutions to help construct better urban planning models, which might just work. Earlier this month, MIT researchers found that 98% of New York City taxis could be replaced with 3,000 four passenger cars powered by ride-sharing apps such as Uber.

Analysts Eagerly Await Netflix Earnings Report

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Earnings season is in full swing and one company in focus is Netflix. The online entertainment company is scheduled to present its fourth-quarter results next Wednesday and consensus expectations point to earnings of 13 cents per share. If the company is able to meet or beat expectations, then it would make it eight of 10 quarters – an impressive streak for any company.

While the top-line numbers will make headlines, analysts will be interested to see what guidance the company gives for the coming 12-months. One challenge facing Netflix is a possible rejig of ‘Net Neutrality’ rules issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Under current rules, internet companies need to treat all internet traffic equally. However, incoming President Donald Trump has voiced his displeasure with the rules. In addition, some of his picks to join the FCC point to an increasing probability that ‘Net Neutrality’ will be reversed.

Netflix Stranger Things
The cast of “Stranger Things” arrive at the Weinstein Company and Netflix 2017 Golden Globes After Party on Sunday, January 8, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. (CarlaVanWagoner / Shutterstock, Inc.)

Such a change could have a dramatic impact on the prospects of companies such as Netflix.  In the U.S., the change would impact operating costs and even more importantly a shift in domestic policy could give international regulators the lead they need to take the steps.  This would dramatically alter the landscape and could benefit cable operators who have been struggling to fight off the rise of streaming video sites.

While a potential change would have a big impact, the fact is that the company’s current financial position is quite solid. Analysts expect that revenue for the quarter will grow by more than 35 percent to $2.47 billion. More importantly, the company is inching towards the billion-dollar mark for international revenues – an important threshold as it points to the company’s ability to expand its market.

That being said, there is some reason to believe that shares of Netflix might be overpriced at the moment.  FactSet noted that the average 12-month price target per share is $125.97, roughly 2.5% lower than Thursday’s close. Add to this the fact that Netflix shares for the last year have underperformed the broader markets and some observers believe this might lead to a correction.

Another issue which might impact the company’s growth prospects, at least in the U.S., is subscriber growth.  Netflix has always seen itself as a premium content provider, as such, it has eschewed advertising. But given the likelihood of a changing landscape, its views on advertising might change.  If not, then it will need to continue investing in original content – a risky bet, even when it pays off.

This is the same conclusion which J.P. Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth reached in his comments on the company. Looking forward, Mr. Anmuth noted the belief that the company will need to create ‘stronger content’ to ‘increased global profitability’.  However, he remained confident that the company would add subscribers at a faster rate in 2017 than it is likely to have done the year just ended.

Pandora is Laying Off 7% of Their U.S. Employees

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Pandora boasts themselves as the “world’s most powerful music discovery platform” but, even the most powerful platform in the world has to cut employees.

On Thursday, Pandora announced on their website that their company will be reducing the number of U.S. employees by 7% in the next few months. In addition, the company explains that they are going to leverage their analytics platform and ad insertion technology to increase revenue. Pandora hopes to make more money without needing additional capital to fund future investments that would in turn increase advertising revenue and the number of paid subscribers.

Tim Westergren, the CEO of Pandora, explained in their press release that, “While making workforce reductions is always a difficult decision, the commitment to cost discipline will allow us to invest more heavily in product development and monetization and build on the foundations of our strategic investments.”

Apple Music
BANGKOK, THAILAND – NOVEMBER 26, 2016: Man using Iphone7 Plus jet black serie choosing music from apple music store online (Vasin Lee / Shutterstock, Inc.)

Meanwhile, one of Pandora’s competitors, Apple, is currently in talks with producers to create original content to add to their $10/month Apple Music service. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Apple Music hopes to begin offering original scripted TV shows and movies before 2018. This news should not come as a surprise. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, revealed during last quarter’s earnings call his commitment on creating new and original content.

“I would confirm that television has intense interest with me and many other people here. In terms of owning content and creating content, we have started with focusing on some original content, as you point out,” Tim Cook explained.

Spotify Pandora
20 December 2015, Istanbul – Turkey: Spotify Swedish music service that offers legal streaming music. Was launched in October 2008. Rihanna album in Spotify mobile app. (endermasali / Shutterstock, Inc.)

Along with Apple Music, Pandora is facing additional pressure from Spotify. Last year, Spotify announced their plan to create 12 original series for their streaming platform. Some of the shows include a documentary series about major moments in music history, a series developed by Russell Simmon’s production company, and a mockumentary about a dance competition.

Here’s Why People Get Hungry After Getting Drunk

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Researchers published a study in the journal of Nature Communications revealing why alcohol intake is linked to overeating.

Earlier this week, researchers discovered that going to the local bar is actually good for a person’s health. Published in the journal of “Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology”, Oxford University scientists revealed that people who regularly visit a bar feel more engaged and are happier.

Now, researchers have found a link to the human brain and alcohol-induced overeating.

In the study titled, “Agrp neuron activity is required for alcohol-induced overeating,” Sarah Cains and her team of researchers discovered that alcohol decreases activity in the brain allowing for people to experience the munchies.

Why this occurs has not been discovered, and researchers previously believed that societal pressures were the reason why people overeat after drinking alcohol. But, Cains discovered that specific neurons in the hypothalamus part of the brain, Agrp neurons, are becoming activated and controlling feeding behavior.

Traditionally, Agrp neurons are triggered during starvation causing people to become hungry. But, when Cains examined mice housed by themselves that engaged in alcohol-induced overeating, those mice also had activated Agrp neurons. In turn, researchers explain that neurons that get activated when people are starving or hungry are actually triggered when people drink alcohol.

Ultimately, researchers explain that Agrp cell activity causes animals to get hungry and when people drink alcohol, the ethanol in turn suppresses appetite signals, making people hungry.

What are Agrp neurons?

Agrp neurons are found in the arcuate nucleus inside the hypothalamus. The arcuate nucleus is known for many roles in the human body including the metabolism, fertility and feeding. According to a 2011 study examining the role Agrp neurons have on the human body, researchers found the proteins released by the neurons can actually influence eating habits. With that being said, researchers are not sure how the Agrp neurons actually cause people to become hungry or change behavior.

Scientists Discover Parasites in US Salmon

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Here’s some more bad news for sushi fans, scientists have discovered that a tapeworm known to infect fish found in Asia is now also in the United States.

Earlier this week, researchers found nearly 50% of sushi in Los Angeles is actually mislabeled. Researchers visited 20 sushi restaurants in L.A. from 2012 and 2015 and found that 47% of all sushi were inaccurately labeled. Then researchers found that the problem expanded to grocery stores, with fish also being mislabeled. Now, researchers have found parasites in salmon in the US.

The CDC published the study in the February issue 2017 of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Roman Kutcha from the Institute of Parasitology explained that in 2013 he examined 64 different wild Pacific salmon obtained from local fisherman. After examining the fish, researchers found Diphyllobothriasis parasitic larva inside Alaskan pink salmon. Kutcha explained that this type of salmon from North America’s Pacific coast is a source of human parasite infection. Researchers also point out that because Pacific salmon is transported unfrozen, parasites are able to survive after being transported to other parts of the world.

This is not the first time researchers discovered tapeworms in salmon. In 2009, Naoki Arizona from the University of Medicine in Kyoto, Japan found the same type of parasite was being found in urban areas in Japan and Europe. Researchers at the time explained that people who eat raw seafood, accounted for the increase in parasitic infections in humans.

Diphyllobothriasis also known as the Japanese broad tapeworm has the ability to grow up to 30 feet long once inside the human body. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Japanese tapeworm typically doesn’t exhibit any symptoms. However, overtime the tapeworm can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency, weight loss, and stomach pain.

According to the CDC, the best way to diagnosis Diphyllobothriasis parasite is by a microscopic identification of eggs in the stool. In turn, the parasite can be treated with several medications including Praziquantel. However, the safety of the medication has not been established for children under the age of four.

Meet the Inexpensive Centrifuge That Only Costs 20-Cents

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Stanford bioengineers have invented an inexpensive blood centrifuge.

On Wednesday, Stanford bioengineers announced a 20-cent hand powered device that can centrifuge blood. The device has the capability of rotating up to 125,000 revolutions per minute and can separate blood plasma from red blood cells in 1.5 minutes, without ever needing electricity.

The study was published in the January issue of Nature Biomedical Engineering and the device works in the same way as spinning toys. Researchers looked at toys such as yo-yos and whirligigs. After two weeks, Stanford scientists used a whirligig and discovered it moved fast enough to centrifuge blood.

Assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford and lead researcher in the study, Manu Prakash, announced in a statement that, “There are more than a billion people around the world who have no infrastructure, no roads, no electricity. I realized that if we wanted to solve a critical problem like malaria diagnosis, we needed to design a human-powered centrifuge that costs less than a cup of coffee.”

Prakash added that with their inexpensive “paperfuges”, the Stanford invented device can match centrifuges that cost between $1,000 to $5,000.

Centrifuges are crucial for detecting diseases including the highly contagious and even deadly illnesses such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis. Stanford researchers explain that this low-cost alternative allows for physicians to diagnose diseases in areas that do not have electricity. The device can also help those who cannot afford expensive centrifuges. That is good news for the 24.7 million people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa.

How does a centrifuge work?

Centrifuge
Stanford bioengineers have invented an inexpensive blood centrifuge. (Image Credit: Akimov Igor / Shutterstock, Inc.)

Traditionally, a centrifuge is a device that rotates an object around a fixed point spinning in a circle. A centrifuge uses basic physics and moves denser particles towards the bottom and lighter parts to the top. With that being said, centrifuge rotors should not be touched while it is moving. In addition, the spinning motor must be balanced to avoid serious injury.

Study: How Stress Can Cause a Heart Attack

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Researchers have discovered why stress is linked to heart attacks.

Earlier this month, scientists discovered alcohol abuse was linked to heart attacks. While other researchers later found a ‘local’ bar had health benefits, Harvard Medical School students published a study correlating stress to heart attacks.

A myocardial infarction or heart attack, is a cardiovascular event that has the possibility of killing someone. With more than three million U.S. cases every year, a heart attack happens when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart. Without enough blood, there is less oxygen causing tissue damage and even death. Some of the treatments following a heart attack include major lifestyle changes, including reducing stress. During a new landmark study by Harvard Medical School, researchers linked brain activity to heart attacks.

In the study published in The Lancet, Dr. Ahmed Tawakol, Amornia Ishai, and their team of researchers examined the brain; this team discovered how different parts of the brain affected the cardiovascular system.

Researchers examined nearly 300 patients in a longitudinal study. Researchers found activity in the brain’s amygdala lead to an increase in bone marrow activity, inflammation of arteries, and an increased risk of heart attacks.

Ultimately, Tawakol, and Ishai explained that this is the first study to link brain activity to cardiovascular disease. In addition, researchers found how the brain’s amygdala plays a part in cardiovascular disease events.

Stories regarding the brain’s amygdala has been in the news quiet frequently lately. Earlier this month, the amygdala made headlines after researchers predicted how long humans would survive if a zombie outbreak took place. Then, researchers found emotional experiences had an impact human memory. Finally, last December scientists discovered the way humans breathe can have an impact on memory and fear.