Once again, Google is in the radar of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for allegedly breaching the default settings of Safari resulting to a violation of its users’ privacy. This was discovered by Stanford researcher Jonathan Mayer. Google deceived Safari into believing that a web form has been submitted whenever a user clicks +1 in the ad. Allegedly, this allowed Google to install tracking cookies.

According to the US Federal Trade Commission, it will fine Google for engaging in deceptive practices by installing tracking cookies in an illegal manner. Although there is no information yet as to the exact amount, a Bloomberg report revealed that it is likely to be in the vicinity of more than $10 million at $16,000 per day per violation. Google is currently negotiating with the FTC as to the cost of the fine it will pay for its misconduct.

If the negotiations fail, the Federal Trade Commission is likely to push its case even further. In 2011, Google signed a consent decree with the FTC preventing them from misrepresenting its handling of user information. The consent decree likewise required Google to abide by policies that protect customer data in new products.

The agreement with FTC can be traced back to the Google Buzz fiasco in 2010 when Google admitted to using deceptive strategies and breached its own privacy policies when it introduced its now defunct Twitter-like social network. In return, the FTC forced Google to sign new privacy policies which it violated again because of the Safari breach.

According to Mayer, Google is one of four companies installing trackable cookies in Safari. Vibrant Media, Media Innovation Group, and PointRoll provide scripts that seem to have been derived from circumvention example code.

By default, Apple allows blocking of cookies. Every product running on the iOS has the privacy feature activated.

Melvin Magadia is a content writer and blogger for a promotional merchandise company selling promotional products under $1 . He is a gadget freak, loves to watch basketball games, and surfing the Internet and watching movies.

My battery has been draining quicker than when I first got my Nook, so I contacted B&N Customer Service regarding a battery. Vanessa Mae told me:

We would like you to know that the rechargeable battery for NOOK Tablet is not sold on BN.com. The rechargeable battery for NOOK Tablet can only be accessed and replaced by authorized service professionals.

But Bob Weathers on Nook Chat said this:

2:53:00 PM : CustomerMichael: Initial Question/Comment: What is the cost to replace the Nook Tablet battery, and what authorized service professionals are available?

2:53:06 PM : SystemSystem: Welcome to the Barnes & Noble Chatroom.

2:53:21 PM : SystemSystem: Bob Weathers has joined this session!

2:53:21 PM : SystemSystem: Connected with Bob Weathers. Your Reference Number for this chat is 741475.

2:53:26 PM : SystemSystem: Thanks for joining us.

2:53:36 PM : AgentBob Weathers: Good day Michael, thanks for joining Barnes and Noble Digital Chat Support. My name is Bob.

2:53:44 PM : Customer: hey

2:54:31 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: I understood that there is an issue with the battery of your device, am I correct?

2:54:58 PM : Customer: The battery runs down quicker than it did when i first got it.

2:56:11 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: I am sorry for the inconvenience you are facing but the battery of the Nook Tablet cannot be replaced.

2:56:44 PM : Customer: per a CS rep: “The rechargeable battery for NOOK Tablet can only be accessed
and replaced by authorized service professionals.”

2:58:01 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: I am sorry for the misinformation but the battery of the device cannot be taken out of the device.

2:58:53 PM : Customer: Really? I have seen videos of people doing it. So, what You are saying is Barnes & Noble sold tablets knowing that they would become $249 paper weights?

2:59:31 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: I suggest you to turn off the wi-fi and make brightness of the device lower to make the charging good on the device.

2:59:56 PM : Customer: Answer my question

3:00:01 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: I can understand your concern but the charger can be replaced for the Nook 1st edition device only.

3:00:18 PM : Customer: So, what You are saying is Barnes & Noble sold tablets knowing that they would become $249 paper weights?

3:01:31 PM : Customer: So, what You are saying is Barnes & Noble sold tablets knowing that they would become $249 paper weights?

3:01:57 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: I am sorry for the inconvenience you are facing but we can reset the device to its initial settings and then we can change the device settings.

3:02:06 PM : Customer: So, what You are saying is Barnes & Noble sold tablets knowing that they would become $249 paper weights?

3:02:50 PM : Customer: You have no idea what you are doing, do you Bob?

3:03:52 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: , I can understand your issue and it can be resolved by doing a hard rest on the device to reset it.

3:04:32 PM : Customer: So, doing a hard reset would replace a DEAD battery?

3:05:27 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: Yes, it will refresh the device and resets the device to its pintail settings.

3:07:33 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: I am sorry for the typo.

3:07:37 PM : Customer: batteries don’t last forever, Bob.

3:07:42 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: * Initial

3:08:22 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: Yes, I can understand your device but the batteries of the Tablet device are not replaced. We have to replace the device itself.

3:09:30 PM : Customer: Oh? And how is that, B7N expects people to spend and additional $249 when the battery dies?

3:10:08 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: As you are in warranty we can replace the device for free for you.

3:11:24 PM : Customer: Thats not what I am concerned about, Bob. I am concerned that I paid $249 for a paper weight!

3:12:58 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: I am sorry for that but the device is designed in a way that we cannot take the battery out and replace it.

3:13:45 PM : Customer: then all you had to say is Barnes & Noble sold tablets knowing that they would become $249 paper weights!

3:13:57 PM : Customer: I guess I’ll have to consult an attorney.

3:15:33 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: , I can understand your concern and I suggest you to once visit our BN store and then they will reset the device.

3:16:40 PM : Customer: Listen Bob, the damn warranty is for one year. You are telling me the battery can not be replaced. Soooo, I am looking forward to when the damn warranty expires and 2 days later, the battery does also.

3:17:48 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: Is there anything else I can help you with?

3:18:35 PM : Customer: No Bob, you have been completely unhelpful, and evaded my questions like a pro.

3:19:49 PM : Agent Bob Weathers: I am sorry for that but as I have informed you that the battery charging can be minimized by turning off the wi-fi when the device is not used for purchasing.

Does either of these people know what they are talking about?

Microsoft published a security bulletin and fix for a critical vulnerability in the Remote Desktop Protocol which could impact all versions of Windows. The vulnerability, with an Exploitability Index of 1 [the exploit code is likely], allows for remote code to be executed by an unauthenticated attacker. More information is available at https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms12-020.

At this time, we recommend that all Supreme Center Hosting customers who may be impacted by this issue:

1. Apply the provided patch ASAP.

2. Enable Network Level Authentication which will require any potential exploits to successfully authenticate to the server before an RDP session is established.

To enable Network Level Authentication in XP/7 machines

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then press ENTER.
2. In the navigation pane, locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
3. In the details pane, right-click Security Packages, and then click Modify.
4. In the Value data box, type tspkg. Leave any data that is specific to other SSPs, and then click OK.
5. In the navigation pane, locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders
6. In the details pane, right-click SecurityProviders, and then click Modify.
7. In the Value data box, type credssp.dll. Leave any data that is specific to other SSPs, and then click OK.
8. Exit Registry Editor.
9. Restart the computer.

Our retail domain name and domain name reseller sites have moved to new locations.

You can now find the retail domain supersite located at domains.supremecenterhosting.com, and the domain control panel located at control-panel.supremecenterhosting.com/customer. The domain reseller site has been moved to reseller.supremecenterhosting.com and domain reseller control panel to domains.supremecenterhosting.com/reseller.

The vePortal VPS Control Panel is a virtual environment control panel, combining a user friendly client interface with a administration facility.

vePortal VPS Control Panel actively monitors your server node recording all service related activity, reporting back to you via the vePortal Administration Interface. Services monitored include:

• Hard Disk Usage & Availability
• Memory Utilization, Including Total, Free, Used & Cached
• Uptime Information, Including 3x Load Averages
• User Information. All SSHD connectivity is recorded

Because all client accounts are monitored 24 hours a day, both you and the client are able to see the exact usage of a specific account. Resources monitored include:

• Available & Used Hard Disk Space
• Available & Used Memory Information
• CPU Percentage Utilization
• Backup Allowance & Usage

Our Linux VPS are powered by the vePortal Virtual Private Server management software platform. Each Linux Virtual Private Server performs & executes like a stand-alone serve. It can be rebooted independently, has its own root access, users, IP addresses, memory, processes, files, applications, system libraries, & configuration files. With vePortal you can fully re-install or reload the VPS with just a few clicks.

If you are a webmaster, web designer, web developer, or & business owner, have a look at our Linux VPS and Premium Linux VPS to take advantage of what vePortal VPS Control Panel has to offer you.

Launched in November 2010, LinkedIn’s Company Pages are a tool for businesses to “drive growth….and leverage word-of-mouth to attract new customers.”

Suitable for all types of business, Company Pages consist of three new features.

* Analytics, visible only to members with administrator access to your Company,  allow you to see see how many LinkedIn members are visiting your Company Page and how many LinkedIn members are following your company. You can also compare yourself against the competition to benchmark your performance.

* You can now mnage the editing and privacy settings to give all your employeea rights to your Company Page.

* A new Recommend buttom has been added to allow your customers to recommend your products or services by adding the snippet of code below to your website:

<script type=”text/javascript” src=”http://platform.linkedin.com/in.js“></script><script type=”in/recommendproduct” data-company=”CompanyID” data-product=”ProductID? data-counter=”right”></script>

To get your Company ID, go to linkedin.com and click on “Companies” and search for your company by name. While on your company profile, your Company ID is the number in the URL [e.g. http://www.linkedin.com/mycompanyname/CompanyID. Replace “CompanyID” in the above code your Company Id.

To get your Product ID, replace the Product ID # (data-product=) for any of your products from the URL of your product pages – the number that follows “prdid=” in the URL.

We just created a Giving Page at DonorsChoose.org, to help support low-income classrooms, and we are inviting you to help support it!

DonorsChoose.org is an online charity connecting individuals, like you, to classrooms in need. The average public school teacher spends $500 – $700 on classroom supplies out of his/her own pocket, and students still go without critical supplies they need to learn. Also, the vast majority of states have made spending cuts that hurt families, reduce necessary services, and effect K-12 education (34 states and the District of Columbia).

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

States began cutting their budgets in the spring of 2008, as the recession brought sharply weakened revenues. The cuts have intensified in the face of high and persistent unemployment. Even as the need for state-funded services rose, states cut funding for services by 4.2 percent for fiscal year 2009 and an additional 6.8 percent for 2010, according to estimates by the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO). NASBO projects that state spending for 2011 will remain 7.6 percent below 2008 levels.[2] Indeed, the cuts that many states have enacted for FY2011 have been even more severe than those implemented in previous years. For example:

• Arizona eliminated preschool for 4,328 children, funding for schools to provide additional support to disadvantaged children from preschool to third grade, aid to charter schools, and funding for books, computers, and other classroom supplies. The state also halved funding for kindergarten, leaving school districts and parents to shoulder the cost of keeping their children in school beyond a half-day schedule.
• California reduced K-12 aid to local school districts by billions of dollars and cut a variety of programs, including adult literacy instruction and help for high-needs students.
• Colorado has reduced public school spending in FY 2011 by $260 million, nearly a 5 percent decline from the previous year. The cut amounts to more than $400 per student.
• Georgia cut state funding for K-12 education for FY 2011 by $403 million or 5.5 percent relative to FY 2010 levels. The cut has led the state’s board of education to exempt local school districts from class size requirements to reduce costs.
• Hawaii shortened the 2009-10 school year by 17 days and furloughed teachers for those days.
• Illinois cut school education funding by $311 million or 4 percent in its FY 2011 budget relative to FY 2010 levels. Cuts include a significant reduction in funding for student transportation and the elimination of a grant program intended to improve the reading and study skills of at-risk students from kindergarten through the 6th grade.
• Maryland cut professional development for principals and educators, as well as health clinics, gifted and talented summer centers, and math and science initiatives.
• Michigan cut its FY 2010 school aid budget by $382 million, resulting in a $165 per-pupil spending reduction. In FY 2011, Michigan restored $11 in funding per student, so per-pupil funding remains $154 below 2009 levels.
• Over the course of FY10, Mississippi cut by 7.2 percent funding for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, a program established to bring per-pupil K-12 spending up to adequate levels in every district.
• Massachusetts cut state education aid by $115.6 million, or 3 percent in its FY 2011 budget relative to FY 2010 levels. It also made a $4.6 million, or 16 percent cut relative to FY 2010 levels to funding for early intervention services, which help special-needs children develop appropriately and be ready for school.
• Missouri is cutting its funding for K-12 transportation by 46 percent. The cut in funding likely will lead to longer bus rides and the elimination of routes for some of the 565,000 students who rely on the school bus system.
• New Jersey cut funding for afterschool programs aimed to enhance student achievement and keep students safe between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m. The cut will likely cause more than 11,000 students to lose access to the programs and 1,100 staff workers to lose their jobs.
• North Carolina cut by 21 percent funding for a program targeted at small schools in low-income areas and with a high need for social workers and nurses. As a result, 20 schools will be left without a social worker or nurse. The state also temporarily eliminated funding for teacher mentoring.
• Rhode Island cut state aid for K-12 education and reduced the number of children who can be served by Head Start and similar services.
• Virginia’s $700 million in cuts for the coming biennium include the state’s share of an array of school district operating and capital expenses and funding for class-size reduction in kindergarten through third grade. In addition, a $500 million reduction in state funding for some 13,000 support staff such as janitors, school nurses, and school psychologists from last year’s budget was made permanent.
• Washington suspended a program to reduce class sizes and provide professional development for teachers; the state also reduced funding for maintaining 4th grade student-to-staff-ratios by $30 million.
• State education grants to school districts and education programs have also been cut in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Utah.

How can you help?

1. Visit our Giving Page
2. Choose a project to help students in need, with a donation of any size!

Thanks in advance for your support

Supreme Center Hosting has teamed up with Doba to offer FREE DobaLimited accounts valued at $100.

Doba is the leading wholesale drop shipper in the industry. Doba gives you access to multiple band name product categories including electronics, home and garden, apparel, sporting goods and more. Doba has more than 1.5 million products to choose from – and with access to 30,000 FREE – you’re sure to find some products to sell for a profit!

Choose the products to sell from Doba’s product catalog. List the products for sale on any auction site or your own online store. Doba’s suppliers take care of warehousing, packaging, and shipping – the product sells, the customer pays you the sale price, you pay Doba the wholesale price  – you keep the profit!

Order any affordably priced Linux VPS [with prices atarting at $14.99], Premium Linux VPS or Windows VPS, and we will include a FREE DobaLimited account – valued at $100 – that includes Doba’s best suppliers with the best selection, the best pricing, and the best fulfillment rates with over 30,000 products – FREE.

Supreme Center Hosting Reseller Package – perfect solution for webmasters, designers, developers, and reseller/presence providers. Supreme Center Hosting charges a flat rate for space and bandwidth which you can then distribute to your clients, divided into any size packages and priced as you want.

Supreme Center Hosting Reseller Packages are designed for individuals who like to have all technical aspects of a server handled professionally. Supreme Center Hosting Reseller Packages give you the perfect opportunity to grow in the Web Hosting business without risk or large capital requirements. Allow Supreme Center Hosting to maintain your server while you can focus on marketing and sales.

Our resellers attain profit every month by creating and maintaining websites for companies and individuals all over the world. Supreme Center Hosting provides all the equipment – you make the profit!

Your reseller contract with Supreme Center Hosting includes system administration, CPANEL & WebHostManager software package, Web Browser Contol Panels for all resellers, as well allowing you to customize and brand your own versions. DNS name servers are also included free of charge, which allows you to have the look and feel of your own hosting company, and to provide anonymity as to the hosting firm you are working with.

VPS Software: vePortal / OpenVZ
CPU: 1500MHZ GUARANTEED
Memory: 1GB GUARANTEED
Disk Space: 50GB (RAID BASED CONFIG)
Bandwidth: 1000GB/MONTH
IP Addresses: 2 (IPv4) + IPv6
cPanel/WHM Unlimited domains
Fully Managed Service – (Phone Support, Multi-Port Monitoring, 3rd Party Script Basic Assistance, Limited Free O/S Re-installs)
CPanel/WHM Add-On – Fantastico – (Script & Open-Source Software Auto-Installer)
CPanel/DirectAdmin/Plesk(Linux) Add-On – Softaculous – (Script & Open-Source Software Auto-Installer)
DDOS Protection: CISCO GUARD
Free Setup

$75.00/MONTH

Contact sales to order or for more information.

We will be making some significant changes to our web hosting plans beginning January 1, 2011.

Our current plans are Apprentice, Director, Executive, Neophyte, Pioneer, Supreme, Premier, Specialist and Starter. After some sales analysis, we will be removing some plans that have not been preforming as well as other plans.

Beginning January 1st, We will be removing our Apprentice, Director, Specialist and Premier web hosting plans. The web hosting plans that will stay in effect after January 1st are Executive, Neophyte, Pioneer, Supreme and Starter.

Web Hosting Plans And Prices Effective January 1, 2011

Customers in the Director web hosting plan will be upgraded to Executive at no additional charge. The new price will be $12.50/month.

Customers in the Apprentice web hosting plan will be upgraded to Neophyte at no additional charge. The new price for the Neophyte plan will be $4.50/month.

Customers in the Specialist web hosting plan will be upgraded to Pioneer at no additional charge.The new price for the Pioneer plan will be $6.50/mo.

Customers in the Premier web hosting plan will be upgraded to Supreme at no additional charge. The new price for the Supreme plan will be $8.50/mo.

The pricing for the Starter web hosting plan will remain the same.

If you have any questions regarding the upcoming changes, please feel free to contact us.