A new web and graphic design directory offers huge discounts for companies willing to be first into the listings. The directory focuses on US graphic and web design firms. Free directory listings are available as well.

The directory was re-launched with a country wide focus after being halted in project development for quite some time. Now the site was re-launched with a wider focus and more interactive features for B to B listings.

Visit: Web design portal for the US

From privacy activists to even some members of Congress, Facebook has lost a significant level of trust with users following a change it made to it’s privacy policy and it’s approach to information sharing. CNET called the recent changes “audacious.” The changes would provide detailed information collected from Facebook to be shared with partner websites or potentially sold.It essentially removed it’s users ability to control information about themselves that exists in the social website.

How do I delete my Facebook account?

1. Go to “Account” in the top upper left menu
2. Scroll down on “Settings”
3. Go to “Deactivate Account” and click “deactivate”

The United States recently changed course and began open talks with Russia regarding the role of the United Nations arms control committee towards strengthening Internet security and limiting the use of cyberspace as a military platform. Although Russia and the US have engaged in dialogue about the subject, their interpretations vary. There has been a growing concern in the Obama Administration over the increasing development of cyberweapons and their use. The goal of the US is to increase international cooperation regarding cybercrime.

An NYU researcher received grant funding to rewrite all 438 sentences Herman Melville’s Moby Dick using Japanese emoticons. Fred Berenson, the researcher, plans to use Amazon’s Mechanical Turk to obtain three different interpretations from each sentence. From there, each sentence will be voted on and one will be chosen.

When asked why he chose Moby Dick as the book to be translated, Mr. Berenson stated that he needed a public domain book and one that was fairly long in order to demonstrate the the capability of Amazon’s Mechanical Turk.

Bloomberg LP has confirmed it’s acquisition of Businessweek. Bloomberg will be paying $2 million to $5 million in cash.

“We are not buying BusinessWeek to gut it. We are buying it to build it” Bloomberg stated.

Businessweek.com has 20 million unique users and 100 million pageviews. It generates $60 million in revenue. It has not been decided what Bloomberg will do with the web operations.

A private business called Internet Eyes encourages citizens to roam through live video clips taken from an extensive CCTV network in the UK and report crime. The website makes the process of video voyeurism into a game–awarding it’s top users cash prizes of £1,000 for catching criminals.

Source: Ironpaper: Current “Internet Game That Uses Surveillance To Stop Real UK Crime”

Facebook recently removed a poll that posed the question: “Should Obama be killed?”.  A total of  730 people took part in this poll prior to its removal. The poll provided a radio button selection between 4 choices: “Yes”, “No”, “Maybe,” and “If he cuts my health care.” The Secret Service has begun an investigation into the origins of this abhorrent question.

The Facebook a fun place to reconnect with friends, a replacement to email and vital marketing tool for businesses. Yet the social site is also becoming a popular place for hateful speech, extremism and rabble-rousing.

Google Chrome Frame speeds up Internet Explorer 8 by about 9.6 times. It also provides Explorer users with the experience of HTML 5 and advanced web applications. Chrome Frame is essentially a functional “cloak” that wraps IE in the experience of Google’s Chrome browser. This may hopefully lure Explorer users away from the Microsoft browser to Chrome.

As posted in Ironpaper’s Current: Google Chrome May Speed Up Your Internet Explorer 8

Idaho has become the top, most spammed state in the US. For instance, for September 2009, Idaho exceeded global spam rates by 7.4%. Global spam rates were 86.4 percent, and Idaho’s rate was 93.8 percent. This study was conducted by MessageLabs, a Symantec company.

It is worth mentioning that global spam rates have soared since the global credit crisis in 2008.

Online video sites saw traffic soar by 41% in the month of August. Nielson Online just released figures to prove industry expectations correct.

The month-over-month growth for August was 2.40% and the year-over-year growth was 18.00% for unique web-video users.

Youtube was by far the industry leader, followed by Hulu, Yahoo, MSN/WindowsLive/Bing, and Nickelodeon Kids and Family Network respectively.