FitSugar

Netflix Cancels $1 Million Contest

GeekSugar — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:00:01 PST

Netflix just announced that they're cancelling their second $1 million prize amid privacy concerns. The contest was a successor to the company's first algorithm-improvement competition, which lasted three years. The current contest came under fire when a lawsuit claimed the first competition violated privacy laws. A woman sued Netflix in December for invasion of privacy, saying they disclosed personal information that wasn't anonymous enough.

The contest challenged competitors to develop a more efficient movie-recommendation algorithm for users, and gave them access to 100 million movie information and ratings from 480,000 subscribers, assigning each a unique ID. The contest lasted three years, and the $1 million prize eventually went to a team lead by AT&T researchers.

Netflix settled the lawsuit out of court and says it's reached an agreement with the FTC. It then decided not to pursue the second competition, which would have involved an improved ratings system. Apparently, movie rental histories are protected records in the US, something Facebook Beacon learned the hard way when it shared users' Blockbuster Video rental histories.

Source: Flickr User Mr.Thomas

FDA: Packaged Foods' Health Claims Make Them Drugs

YumSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:00:19 PDT

Could the breakfast staple, Cheerios, be classified as a drug? That's what the Food and Drug Administration is claiming, based on the product's labeling that it's "clinically proven to help lower cholesterol." On May 5, the FDA sent a warning letter to General Mills, the maker of Cheerios, charging that the cereal's cholesterol-lowering health claims violate federal law. It stated:

Based on claims made on your product's label, we have determined that your Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug because the product is intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease.

According to The Wall Street Journal, if General Mills wishes to keep the statements on the Cheerios box as is, the company has to file a new-drug application for the cereal. In a statement issued this morning, General Mills expressed that it will "look forward to discussing this with the FDA and to reaching a resolution."

While I agree that the FDA should be closely involved with health claims in consumer products, I can't help but wonder whether this is taking resources away from a larger problem in the FDA's hands: improving food safety in our country. Should packaged foods be able to make health claims, or does that render them drugs?

Source

Warning Signs in Diet Advertisements

FitSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:30:00 PDT

We've all seen the ads on TV and in magazines that promise rapid weight loss and immediate results, but most of these claims are false. It's definitely hard to decipher the good from the bad but here are a few trigger statements that should raise a warning flag for the product you're about to spend money on:

"Lose weight without diet or exercise!"
Achieving a healthy weight takes work. Take a pass on any product that promises miraculous results without the effort. Buy one and the only thing you’ll lose is money.
“Lose weight no matter how much you eat of your favorite foods!”
Beware of any product that claims that you can eat all you want of high-calorie foods and still lose weight. Losing weight requires sensible food choices. Filling up on healthy vegetables and fruits can make it easier to say no to fattening sweets and snacks.
“Lose weight permanently! Never diet again!”
Even if you’re successful in taking the weight off, permanent weight loss requires permanent lifestyle changes. Don’t trust any product that promises once-and-for-all results without ongoing maintenance.

What about miracle creams? Probably false too, so

“Block the absorption of fat, carbs, or calories!” Doctors, dieticians, and other experts agree that there’s simply no magic non-prescription pill that will allow you to block the absorption of fat, carbs, or calories. The key to curbing your craving for those “downfall foods” is portion control. Limit yourself to a smaller serving or a slimmer slice.
“Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!” Losing weight at the rate of a pound or two a week is the most effective way to take it off and keep it off. At best, products promising lightning-fast weight loss are false. At worst, they can ruin your health.
“Everybody will lose weight!” Your habits and health concerns are unique. There is simply no one-size-fits-all product guaranteed to work for everyone. Team up with your health care provider to design a personalized nutrition and exercise program suited to your lifestyle and metabolism.
“Lose weight with our miracle diet patch or cream!” You’ve seen the ads for diet patches or creams that claim to melt away the pounds. Don’t believe them. There’s nothing you can wear or apply to your skin that will cause you to lose weight.

Source

No More Sweetened Saturday Morning Commercials

YumSugar — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:01:38 PDT

This morning I woke up to news of the changing face of children's television programming - or at least children's television commercial programming. A group of 11 food companies - including McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Kellogg's - have announced voluntary limits in marketing towards children. This move is seen as a pre-emptive measure so that the Federal Trade Commission - who is holding a hearing on the subject - will not place regulatory rules that may ban all junk food advertising to children. Sort of a "see, we're good guys don't make us stop!" type of thing.

So what does this mean for children's television? Well, the companies have agreed to stop advertising to children under 12 products that do not conform to a set of nutritional standards. However, it's only for children's programming, not family-friendly programming.

For example, while General Mills will no longer be advertising Trix to the 12-and-under crowd, it will continue to peddle Cocoa Puffs, which have one less gram of sugar per serving. And it will be able to continue advertising Trix on television shows and other media that are considered to cater to “families” rather than just children.

To learn more about the self-regulated ban,

read more Several companies are also talking about reformulating their recipes in order to meet those standards. And some have even pledged to stop using characters in ads.

But under the new self-imposed industry rules, the captain's Website would be shuttered. Other companies, like Pepsico, have pledged to stop using characters in ads unless they're touting a healthy product. McDonald's plans to only promote Happy Meals that weigh in under 600 calories.

The whole thing is really interesting to me. I'm not sure if it will really make a difference, but I'm still having a hard time trying to picture Saturday morning cartoons without Fruity Pebbles commercials. Source: MSNBC, NY Times and Marketplace Image Source

Say GoodBye to the "Milk Your Diet" Ads

FitSugar — Mon, 14 May 2007 02:30:00 PDT

Have you seen these ads?

Well you won't be seeing them for much longer. The promotional arm of the dairy industry has been asked by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to curtail the ad campaign since research doesn't support the claim. It is not much of a surprise that the initial research backing this claim was partially funded by the dairy industry. The ads suggest that three servings of low fat or skim milk dairy products a day can help people become slim. The “Body by Milk” ad campaign that was aimed at teenagers and featured Carrie Underwood will be curtailed as well.

The FTC will still allow the dairy council to continue asserting that adults and children should not avoid milk and milk products because of concerns that they may lead to weight gain. So the research found three servings of dairy doesn't make you gain weight, which is a far cry from the claim that it helps you lose weight.

I for one love milk and dairy products, but I do not like false exaggerated claims to sell me something.

7 Ways You Can Avoid Internet Fraud and Phishing Scams

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:53:32 PST

The holiday season is here and millions of Americans are heading out to tackle their last-minute shopping lists. Though doing the lions share of your shopping online can save you time, there are many dangers lurking out there on the Internet, especially where there are credit cards involved.

One recent Internet phishing scam involves Apple fans, and a so-called "Christmas Awards" program. This email-based scam sends you a message from a non-Apple email address (like rediffmail.com) asking you to download an attachment to learn more about the awards program. The attachment is a Word document, which is a red flag for downloading viruses and malware. While the download doesn't appear to host any viruses, it does say that you've won $250 million dollars and a commemorative iPhone 4S. All you need to do to claim the "prize" is hand over all of your personal and sensitive information. Don't! If you get this email, don't open it and be sure to report it to the FTC.

Stay safe while shopping this holiday - and beyond - by following these tips that will keep your personal info out of the hands of hackers.

Don't be fooled by fake log-in screens: If you're already signed into Twitter, Facebook, or your email, you won't be asked to sign in again unless you've logged out. Even if the screen looks like the normal log-in, it probably isn't.
Don't be fooled by emails: I've been asked to reply to my "banking institution" with my account log-in information before. The email is formatted to look legit, but if you check the sender's address, most likely it's from a third-party account like Gmail, Yahoo, or MSN. Be diligent and never reply to emails with your bank log-ins or passwords and always check where they are coming from first! When in doubt, call instead.
Reset your passwords often: Too often, people have some pretty lame passwords, which allow their accounts to get hacked even without a phishing scam. Make sure your passwords are tough to guess, and try to change them every few months.

See the rest of the tips after the break.

Smartphone Apps Can't Cure Acne

Miriam Lacey — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:17:42 PDT

The FTC just handed down its first ruling on smartphone apps and beauty, unanimously agreeing that the designers behind two programs, AcneApp and Acne Pwner, should be fined for claiming that their apps could actually help clear acne. Both claimed to use blue and red light to improve skin, suppositions that are unsubstantiated in the research. The agreement, according to the FTC site, will be subject to public comment through Oct. 10, 2011, after which they'll decide whether to make the ruling final. If you downloaded either of these apps (and thousands of people did), you can comment or make your own complaint on the FTC's official comment site.

Where to Report Spam Emails, Phishing, and Internet Fraud

GeekSugar — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:22:47 PST

Internet safety starts at home, and while you may have a hacker-proof password, keep your firewall locked and loaded, and otherwise stay diligent to online scams, the truth is - sometimes spam, phishing, and fraudulent activity can slip through the cracks. If you suspect you've received illegal spam or phishing emails, or think you may be a victim of Internet fraud (by shopping online, or giving your info to a fake source), there are ways to report it so you can keep hackers and malicious thieves offline. Check out the resources below, as suggested by the US Government:

Hacking or a computer virus

If you suspect you've become a victim of hacking or have had a computer virus installed on your machine, you can report the incident to your Internet service provider (like Comcast or AT&T) or directly to the FBI.

Internet fraud

If you've been shopping online and think that you've been scammed, have had your identity stolen, or notice fraudulent activity, you can report the offender to the FTC for investigation, then check out the FTC's resource for what to do next and how to protect yourself.

Spam or phishing emails

If you suspect you've received spam or phishing emails (that are trying to scam you for private information like log-ins and passwords), forward them directly to the FTC's database for spam with the full header information, or send to the Anti-Phishing Working Group.

Money Scare: What to Do When You've Been Robbed

Emily Co — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:45:24 PDT

Since Halloween is coming up in just a few days, it seems fitting to talk about the various scary money situations that people find themselves in. I recently addressed tips for bankruptcy and what to do when you're laid off, but today I'm going to talk about what to do when something (or things) is stolen from you. Even if this hasn't happened to you, it's a good idea to know what to do when the time comes so you don't freeze up and act out of panic.

When your home is robbed: Once you find your house has been broken into, immediately leave your home and call 911. Stay in a safe place while you're waiting for the police to come, because you don't want to run the risk of bumping into the criminal. Wait until the police come before you take further action, which means you shouldn't search your home or touch anything before the cops come or you'll be tampering with evidence. Then, walk through your house and create a list of things that you notice missing from your home. If you have not taken photos of the items before the theft, make sure you write a detailed description of them. You will need to submit this list to the police and your homeowner's insurance. When you're reporting the crime and claiming insurance, start working on ways to make your home safer. For example, you can do things like get a good alarm system, lock up your valuables, and secure your windows and sliding doors.

When your identity is stolen: If you've been monitoring your credit report and all of a sudden you see strange activity like new credit cards being opened or if you're seeing weird charges on your credit card bills, someone may have stolen your identity. First decide whether you want to place a fraud alert or a credit freeze. With a fraud alert, the creditor will be more cautious when giving credit in your name and all you need to do is place the alert with one credit bureau, which will then notify the others. A credit freeze is the more secure option - you can't be considered for new credit until you've disabled the freeze. The latter option provides more protection, but it's also more of a hassle and you have to pay a fee. You'll have to individually freeze your credit with all three agencies.

Read on for more tips.

7,000 Pairs of Shoes: Inside NYC's Coolest Mega Closet!

Refinery29 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:18:33 PDT

We're thrilled to announce our newest partnership with Refinery29! We'll be bringing you cool stories from R29 every week - to kick it off, they went inside one of the most amazing closets we've EVER seen.

It's really very unfortunate that the Albright Fashion Library is just two doors away from our office. Imagine if your neighbor had a closet stocked with thousands of pairs of shoes (7,000, to be exact), red carpet dresses from designers like Balmain and Balenciaga (plus, iconic archival pieces), and jewelry and handbags that you've seen in every magazine. Well, it's our reality. Supercollector Irene Albright has got all that and so much more - uh, diamond-dusted paintings anyone? Her library is the ultimate resource for designers looking for inspiration, fashion editors, and celebrity stylists hungry for their clients' career-defining dress. Albright, who's known as "the editor to the editors," houses her collection in a monster closet; 7,000 square feet of racks, drawers, hooks, and boxes filled with loot you could browse forever. We took a tour (that we never wanted to end), plus we grabbed all the inside deets from Albright and her equally fashion-forward daughter, Mina. Now that we know the address, our lunch breaks just got a lot longer.

For all the glorious pics of this dream closet, visit Refinery29!

Photos courtesy of Amelia Arbaugh

More stories from Refinery29:

This Dog Owns a Celine Blouse Before You Do
FTC Says Those Reebok "Butt Shoes" Don't Do Anything For Your Butt"