Author: KnowledgeHippo
The Maryland Legislature this weekend passed two sweeping privacy bills aimed at limiting how powerful tech platforms can collect and use the personal data of consumers and youth — despite strong objections from trade groups of the industry representing giants such as Amazon, Google and Meta.One bill, the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act, would impose sweeping restrictions on how companies can collect and use the personal data of consumers in the state. The other, the Maryland Kids Code, would prohibit certain social media, video games and other online platforms from tracking people under 18 and using manipulative techniques — such…
When Diane Scheig’s father, Bill, would come home from work at the Mallinckrodt factory in St. Louis, he would undress in their garage and give his clothes to her mother to wash immediately, not daring to contaminate the house with the remains of his efforts. .Mr. Scheig, a blacksmith who helped build the city’s famous arch, never told his family exactly what he did at the plant, where scientists first began processing uranium for the Manhattan Project in 1942. But until age 49, had developed kidney cancer, lost his ability to walk and died.Decades later, Diane’s older sister Sheryle, who…
For some travelers, the mere thought of packing a carry-on can sour even the most intense vacation anticipation. But packing light can also be a creative endeavor that helps build excitement for your upcoming getaway. And with checked bag fees on the rise, it only makes sense to master the art of packing a carry-on. Here are some tips on how to save space — and your sanity.Get into the minimalist mindsetIf you tend to overpack, start by thinking about why you’re traveling in the first place. Doing so can help you focus on the many sights, sounds, smells and…
Israel withdraws some troopsThe Israeli army announced that it withdrew a division of ground troops from southern Gaza yesterday. The move raised questions about its plans as the war reached the six-month mark – Israeli media reported that the withdrawal meant there were no Israeli troops actively maneuvering in southern Gaza.It was unclear what the latest troop withdrawal meant for the prospect of an Israeli ground offensive on Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. Israel has significantly reduced the number of troops it has on the ground in recent months. Only a fraction of the soldiers he had deployed to the region…
On a Sunday in late January, Melinda Buchmann, who lives in Florida and oversees customer relations for RevShoppe, a 30-person remote firm that advises organizations on sales techniques and strategies, arrived in Banff, Alberta, to help set up a four-day company meeting.On the last day of the event, her husband, Josh, director of strategic partnerships for delivery company DoorDash, who also works remotely, joined her. They spent two leisurely days hiking in Banff National Park and visiting Lake Louise.”I’m taking advantage, because I don’t know when I’ll be back,” Ms. Buchmann said of the decision to combine downtime with a…
Online data has long been a precious commodity. For years, Meta and Google have used data to target their online ads. Netflix and Spotify have used it to recommend more movies and music. Political candidates have turned to data to learn which groups of voters to train their interest.Over the past 18 months, it has become increasingly clear that digital data is also vital to the development of artificial intelligence. Here’s what you need to know.The more data, the better.AI success depends on data. This is because AI models become more accurate and more human with more data.In the same…
Patti Sietz-Honig, a video editor at Fox 5 in New York City, filed a complaint in 2022. The cost of seeing a specialist for chronic back pain had risen and she faced about $60,000 in bills.Ms. Sietz-Honig pressed for updates on her complaint and sent articles critical of MultiPlan from the Capitol Forum, a website focused on antitrust and regulatory news. Last March, the agency emailed her that her employer and her insurer, Aetna, had agreed to a “temporary exception” and made additional payments.”Unfortunately,” the agency wrote, the law “does not prohibit the use of third-party vendors” to calculate payments.Meanwhile,…
“We met some locals who said, ‘Come with us.’ They knew about a dam across the river,” Mr Creery said. “So we drove past big ‘Verboten’ signs, carrying our bikes over barbed wire, but what are you going to do? We got where we needed to go.”New and expanded bike lanes and designated bike lanes on city streets in many parts of Europe, Australia, Japan and elsewhere are encouraging tourists to pedal. And whether cycling, walking or running, getting out of the vehicle always gives the best view, according to Ms Desser, the film producer, who travels frequently for work…
Hillary Clinton returned to her alma mater, Wellesley College, on Saturday to celebrate the opening of a new research and study center bearing her name, more than half a century after she graduated and embarked on the path that would make her most famous. graduate.She was met, as always, by Wellesley faculty, students and alumni who see her as a rock star, a kind of campus deity who forever elevated the status of this small liberal arts college west of Boston. But as Mrs. Clinton moderated a panel on “democracy at a crossroads” at the new center’s inaugural summit, a…
Insurers have long blamed private equity hospitals and physician groups for exorbitant fees that drive up health care costs. But a private equity-backed tool is helping insurers make billions of dollars and shift the cost to patients.The tool, Data iSight, is the flagship offering from a cost-containment company called MultiPlan, which has attracted every round of private equity investment since positioning itself as a central player in the lucrative medical payments sector. Today Hellman & Friedman, the California-based private equity giant, and the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund are among the company’s biggest investors.The development of Data iSight, which…