Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Ticketmaster makes online 'CAPTCHA' puzzles easier

This image provided by Ticketmaster shows the newly designed program for ticket purchases. Ticketmaster, often the subject of fan anger when tickets to popular concerts get sold out in seconds, is removing an annoyance that can slow down the buying process: the jumble of letters that people need to decipher known as ?CAPTCHA.? The puzzles provided by Google Inc. are meant to deter automated systems known as ?bots? from buying up mass numbers of tickets the instant they go on sale in order to resell them for a profit. (AP Photo/Ticketmaster)

This image provided by Ticketmaster shows the newly designed program for ticket purchases. Ticketmaster, often the subject of fan anger when tickets to popular concerts get sold out in seconds, is removing an annoyance that can slow down the buying process: the jumble of letters that people need to decipher known as ?CAPTCHA.? The puzzles provided by Google Inc. are meant to deter automated systems known as ?bots? from buying up mass numbers of tickets the instant they go on sale in order to resell them for a profit. (AP Photo/Ticketmaster)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Ticketmaster, often the target of fan anger when tickets to popular concerts get sold out in seconds, is removing an annoyance that can slow down the buying process: the jumble of letters that people need to decipher known as "CAPTCHA."

The puzzles provided by Google Inc. are meant to deter automated systems known as "bots" from purchasing large numbers of tickets the instant they go on sale. Scalpers have been known to employ bots to acquire tickets, which they resell for a profit.

CAPTCHA, an acronym that stands for "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart," was developed by Carnegie Mellon computer scientists in 2000. Google bought the company that spun off from the university in 2009 in part to help it digitize books.

Since only humans, not computers, can decipher CAPTCHA codes, websites install the systems to keep tickets out of the hands of large-scale scalpers. In the fight against more sophisticated bot operators, CAPTCHA codes have become increasingly more difficult ? so difficult that the puzzles started slowing down flesh-and-blood fans.

Take a recent CAPTCHA puzzle, which looks like a bunch of distorted letters that is meant for a buyer to interpret and type: "dsrific LCDAppr." Because of the way the letters are bent out of shape on screen, it's tough even for humans to tell if the two instances of the letter "p'' are capitalized or not.

Ticketmaster is overhauling its website to provide easier puzzles. It has run trials online, and in the next several weeks, it will replace all its online puzzles provided by Google with easier ones provided by a New York-based startup called Solve Media. On mobile devices, Ticketmaster is eliminating the need for puzzles entirely, using its own technology that verifies the user through a "push" notification to the device.

Fans using the website will now see common phrases, such as "freezing temperatures," or multiple choice questions such as "which one is a country?" followed by a drop-down menu of answers including "monster truck," ''puppy" and "Spain."

The key is that Solve Media looks for certain digital clues ? which it won't divulge ? to determine if the ticket-buyer is a person or a bot. The technology will dole out an easy puzzle to a person. It will give a bot a difficult one.

That has already made the fan experience better, says Kip Levin, Ticketmaster's executive vice president of eCommerce. The average time it takes to solve these puzzles has been halved from about 14 seconds to about 7 seconds, the company said.

"Anecdotally, we're starting to see an uptick in fan satisfaction," Levin said. "We're happy with what we've seen from a security standpoint as well."

Some puzzles are in the form of ads. A puzzle sponsored by Southwest Airlines Co. makes buyers enter the words "Bags Fly Free." One by TurboTax requires buyers to type "File Free."

Ari Jacoby, the CEO and cofounder of Solve Media, called advertising the "third leg of the stool" for his business after improving user experience and security. Because the sponsored puzzles use company slogans or product names as answers, they are "highly effective and memorable," Jacoby said.

Solve Media has more than 6,000 customers including magazine publisher Meredith Corp. and online portal AOL Inc., which is also an investor. Advertisers have included a range of major brands such as McDonald's, Toyota, CBS and Pizza Hut.

In February, Solve Media expects to serve up 200 million puzzles. Adding Ticketmaster will boost the number of possible ads it can send out. In 2011, Ticketmaster parent Live Nation Entertainment Inc. sold 141 million tickets, although it's unclear how many were purchased online.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-01-29-Ticketmaster-CAPTCHA/id-7704158bc3f241ecb35efe800f483a9d

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Chesapeake's embattled CEO McClendon to retire

Embattled Chesapeake Energy Corp. founder and CEO Aubrey McClendon will retire on April 1.

McClendon will step down even though Chesapeake says a review of his business dealings has not revealed improper conduct.

Chesapeake Chairman Archie Dunham said in a statement the company needs a new leader to help develop the oil and gas assets the company has amassed under McClendon.

McClendon, 53, founded the company 24 years ago and pushed it to acquire drilling rights to huge amounts of land. The strategy landed the company promising assets ? and enormous debt. A plan that allowed McClendon to invest personally in the company's wells came under renewed scrutiny last year, and he was forced to step aside as board chairman.

Chesapeake shares rose 9 percent in after-hours trading.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-29-US-Chesapeake-Energy-CEO/id-fb36f67f14cf4416968339f09a926241

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Benefits of Internet Marketing in Today's Business Landscape ...

January 29, 2013

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Online advertising or internet marketing is the practice of promoting products or services over the internet. Customers will receive advertisements for the product or service typically via the following digital routes: search engine results, social media marketing and banner ads, blog and online classified advertisements, and spam or email advertising. The idea behind internet marketing is to send marketing messages and lure in customers without overdoing it or missing the mark. This article will explore ways in which internet marketing can hit the mark more often.

Pros and Cons of Internet Marketing

Internet Marketing, unlike marketing done on television or through newspapers, has the advantage of being instantly publishable. In addition, the information disseminated through internet marketing activities is virtually unlimited. With a newspaper or television commercial, you are oftentimes targeting one demographic in one particular place. With internet marketing, the advertisements not only hit more people but they are sometimes interactive advertisements that keep customers engaged.

To go Interactive?

More advertising is going interactive these days and it might prove harmful for business not to capitalize on this relatively new way to reach customers. What is interactive advertising? In the most basic sense, interactive advertising is marketing that interacts with the user?s motives or responses to deliver the best service in a timely fashion. For instance, sites like Amazon and Target are interactive in that both sites filter and arrange future searches based on the user?s preferences and purchasing habits. It?s often said that retaining a current customer is ten times less expensive than corralling in a new customer. This economic reality underscores the importance of streamlining interactive advertising to current customers.

One Size Fits Most

Research in internet marketing has shown that two strategies for marketing online pay off in the long run; those strategies are appealing to a specific interest and targeting individuals. The latter, also known as the one-to-one approach, is used in tandem with search engine optimization. With the one-to-one approach, advertisements are based around keywords typed into the search engine. For instance, searching for ?foot locker? might warrant an advertisement for Nike shoes. The one-to-one approach is tremendously time and cost efficient and it often furnishes the customer with just what s/he needs!

Specific Interest Marketing

Another approach, though, is appealing to a specific interest. The specific interest approach focuses on an entire demographic?s shared characteristics, like age or geography. Rather than focusing on one individual, specific interest internet marketing narrows down the advertising to a collective interest or pursuit. For example, internet browsers in Nevada might be presented with Carls Jr. fast food advertisements, which wouldn?t be useful to someone in New England. The specific interest marketing is subtly similar to one-to-one marketing except that specific interest marketing focuses on larger groups of people, perhaps without particular regard to spending habits of those people.

Future of Marketing

Internet marketing is superior to other forms of marketing because it is cost, energy, and resource efficient. There are also more options with internet marketing: internet marketing can solicit millions of people at once or only a few potential customers. With more people flocking to the internet for goods and services, now is the time to incorporate internet marketing into your business.

About Author: Pam Johnson studied sociology and applies her studies of human decision making to internet marketing. She graduated from one of the best sociology programs in the nation and is now VP of Marketing for an internet marketing firm.

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Source: http://www.naseerahmad.com/2013/01/29/the-benefits-of-internet-marketing-in-todays-business-landscape.html

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Sound Advice: Five Gaming Headphones Tested - HotHardware

If our eyes are the windows to the soul, then what does that make our ears? Doorways to our internal sound stage, that's what. But listen up, it doesn't matter how gnarly the guitar riffs your favorite musician is playing or how intense the in-game effects are, if your headphones aren't up to the task, then you might as well go back to the days of MIDI files Ad Lib sound cards. Second-rate headsets rob you of delightful high notes and brain rattling bass, of the subtle sound of footsteps when an opponent tries to sneak up behind you or the blast of a grenade you just hurled behind enemy lines.

Conversely, a high-quality headset doesn't just upgrade the audio, it unlocks a brand new experience. We're not being melodramatic here. For the same reasons you won't find $20 bookshelf speakers powering a home theater setup, a pair of headphones picked up from the clearance rack at K-Mart shouldn't be your go-to cans for listening to music or playing games.


What separates a premium headset from a blue light special? It's a combination of things, from well designed drivers to comfy ear cups that kiss the sides of your head with a gentle yet firm caress (now we're being melodramatic...a little). And then there's the overall feature-set, the premium extras like a noise-canceling microphone and 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound.

Unfortunately, there's only so much you can discern from a headset's spec sheet, and with so many to choose from, you'd have to invest an obscene amount of time and money auditioning each one. We don't want you to have to do that, so we went and rounded up five high-end headsets from four different manufacturers, including:

  1. Corsair Vengeance 1500 7.1 Gaming Headset
  2. Corsair Vengeance 2000 Wireless 7.1 Gaming Headset
  3. Creative Sound Blaster Recon 3D Omega Wireless 7.1
  4. Roccat Kave 5.1 Surround Sound Headset
  5. Rosewill RHTS-8206 5.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset with Vibration

We subjected each one to a battery of tests with a focus on music performance, gaming, comfort, and unique features. On the following pages, we'll take you through a tour of each one and tell you how they fared. Are any of these headsets right for you? Let's get this party started.
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Source: http://hothardware.com/Reviews/Sound-Judgement-Five-Gaming-Headphones-Reviewed/

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Scottsdale Zip Code 85255 Home Sales By Type Q4 2012 ...

Pinnacle Peak Scottsdale AZ 85255-2012 Scottsdale Zip Code 85255 Home Sales By Type-

Here is the year-end information for Scottsdale Arizona zip code 85255. This report looks at home sales activity for 2012 and breaks it into sales type.

85255 is one of Scottsdale?s most vibrant zip codes. It is located in the northern part of? the city and is home to many of the top golf communities as well as many great restaurants and shopping areas. Some of the luxury golf communities include Troon Country Club, Desert Highlands, Grayhawk, DC Ranch and Silverleaf. There are ample outdoor activities as well. One of the most well-known ones is hiking Pinnacle Peak.

Real Estate Sales Types
The sales data for 85255 has been broken into three sales type categories. They are defined as:
- Non-Distressed Sales ? These are ?traditional? or ?regular? home sales that you are familiar with. ? Short Sales ?? A short sale occurs when a seller will be selling the home for less than is what owed on it. A third party, who holds the lien on the home, will need to grant approval for the sale to take place. A short sale is considered a distress sale.
-Foreclosures ?? You may hear these called ?Lender-Owned? homes, ?REO?? homes or ?Bank-Owned? homes. These homes have been through the foreclosure process and they no longer belong to the homeowner.

Overall Findings for the Scottsdale Zip Code 85255 Home Sales Market for Q4 2012 ? Data as of January 1,? 2013

  • Active Scottsdale 85255 Homes For Sale: The majority of homes for sale at the end of Q4 were regular sales. They accounted for 95% of the market. The small remainder was split by short sales (3%) and foreclosures (2%.)
  • 85255 Pending Homes for Sale: Although they were only 3% of the active market, short sales jumped to 26% of the pending sales at the end of Q4. Due to this, regular pending sales dropped to 72%. Foreclosures were low at 3%.
  • Q4 2012 Scottsdale 85255 Home Sales: In Q4, 78% of sales were regular sales and short sales came out at 20%.
  • 85255 Home Prices: Normally, we see regular sales as having the highest average sales price and foreclosures having the lowest sales price. But in Q4, 85255 had the highest average sales price with foreclosures.
  • Cumulative Days on Market: The average days on market came out as we would expect, with regular sales having the shortest time on market, then foreclosures, then short sales.
  • Discounts Off of List Price: Regular and short sales? average discount off of asking are where they have been trending.? For foreclosures, we usually see around a 2-4% discount. But in Q4, we saw an average discount off of list price of 13%. This was due to the fact that there was a large price discount on one of the foreclosures and only 6 foreclosures sold in Q4.
    Q4 2012 Sales in Scottsdale 85255

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Scottsdale Zip Code 85255 ? 2012 Data on Homes Sold

Here is the same information for the entire 2012 for 85255. Regular sales and lender owned sales had similar average sales prices, but you can really see the difference when you look at average price per square foot.

Buyers saw the largest average discount off of list price (7%) with regular sales and saw less of an average discount (4%) with short sales and foreclosures.

2012 Home Sales Data for Scottsdale Zip Code 85255

Scottsdale Zip Code 85255 ? Sales Data By Quarter for 2012

This last chart is a snapshot of sales activity by quarter and by sales type in 2012.

Over the course of the year, regular sales went from 67% of the market in Q1 to 78% in Q4. Short sales had more of an impact in Q1 and Q4 with 20% of sales and foreclosures really dropped off over the course of the year. They started with 13% of sales in Q1 and finished at 2% of sales in Q4.

2012 Home Sales in Scottsdale Zip 85255

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If you would like to review this data for?the City of Scottsdale AZ versus a single zip code, please visit these previous reports:

View Scottsdale Home Sales by Type for 2011
View Scottsdale Home Sales by Type for 2010
View Scottsdale Home Sales by Type for 2009

Search All 85255 Scottsdale Homes for Sale

Disclaimer: Due to rounding issues, not all columns will add up to 100%. Data and information were pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 1/1/2013 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at single-family resale homes for sale and sales in Scottsdale AZ zip code 85255 for Q4 2012 and for the year of 2012. There may be new home inventory in these figures if the developer is using the MLS to market its homes. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This post represents the opinion of the author. No warranties express or implied.
Copyright ? 2013 Heather Tawes Nelson

Source: http://livebetterinscottsdale.com/2013/01/scottsdale-zip-code-85255-home-sales-by-type-q4-2012-includes-foreclosures-short-sales/

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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Video: Notre Dame: Manti Te?o controversy a ?personal? matter

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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50597788/

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The More Republicans Know About Politics, the More They Beli ...


Terry V. (43)
Friday January 25, 2013, 5:13 pm
thanks

Why is this inappropriate?