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What do you think of Magic Radio?
Google's SAAS Postini security team releases its 2008 spam tracker report. The verdict? Even with the McColo shutdown, spam is back on the rise, and Google expects spammers to continue to use fake news links and package tracking spoofs to dupe users into accepting their viral payloads in 2009.
When a Web hosting network reputedly responsibly for three-quarters of the world's spam, McColo, was taken down in November, many people assumed the bust would take a big bite out of the amount of spam circulating.
Indeed, spam plummeted 70 percent overnight, but now spam is bouncing back faster than you can hit delete on that Viagra discount offer in your in-box. No joke.
According to Google, whose Postini Message Security network sees spam from more than 2 billion business e-mail connections per day, spam levels are up by 156 percent since November 2008.
Worse still, total spam volumes will be back to pre-McColo levels within a few months once spammers find new outlets for their unsolicited messages, wrote Amanda Kleha of the Google Message Security Team.
This reflects a trend in spam growth, as Google noted that despite the McColo shutdown, spam levels soared 25 percent in 2008 from 2007, with the average unprotected user receiving 45,000 spam messages in 2008, up from 36,000 in 2007.
So what is the outlook for 2009? Spammy, spammy and spammier, as Google's Postini team projects even more viruses sent via e-mail and from the Web, with the majority of spam messages trying to trick users by mimicking legitimate e-mails such as UPS package tracking notifications or delivering invoices that include virus attachments.
"We can also expect that viruses and malware will continue to be a key tool and area of focus for spammers to upgrade their platforms. Even though virus attachment volumes have been low so far this year, we expect spammers to work hard to rebuild their networks to replace what was lost in the McColo shutdown. Of course, the only thing we can really say with certainty about 2009 is that spam and viruses will continue to be unpredictable."
Spam isn't going anywhere, and it's in for the long haul. The key for users is to remain vigilant and refrain from visiting suspicious URLs and especially from opening e-mail attachments unless the senders are verified.
Oddly, Google didn't mention anything about viruses or spam that infect social networks such as Facebook or MySpace, which are also vulnerable to viruses, worms and social engineering techniques that fool unsuspecting users.
Video surveillance recovered shows five people were involved in burglarizing the vehicles and taking the truck, Griffin said. Footage from a nearby businesses shows the suspects were in two separate vehicles.
Police are asking for anyone with information about the burglaries to call the D’Iberville Police Department at 228-396-4252, or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898. Tips can also be submitted online at www.mscoastcrimestoppers.com.
Rebecca Willson opened one of Boston’s first luxury dog hotels, Urban Hounds, earlier this month at 129 Malden St. in the South End.
She’s not worried what friends and family will say about sending her dog to one of Boston’s first luxury dog hotels, Urban Hounds, which opened earlier this month at 129 Malden St. in the South End.
The 8,500-square-foot facility features a grooming facility, outdoor and indoor play areas, a day care center, a puppy play area and a training facility. Extras include flat-screen TVs featuring Animal Planet, filtered water and before-bed snuggles.
Sherwood said she didn’t mind ponying up to leave her pets at the hotel.
Amelia Dudley's dream came true shortly after 1 p.m. #F yesterday.
That's when she finally climbed into the sphere at the top of KidWorks, the three-story-high jungle gym at the center of Port Discovery, the $32 million children's museum that opened in downtown Baltimore.
"I wanted to see what it was like," she said, minutes after descending from the structure's highest point. "I thought it was going to be fun, and it is."
Amelia, a first-grader at Rodgers Forge Elementary School in Baltimore County, was one of 2,527 paid visitors who came for the opening day of the museum, conceived as a place that can help kids realize their dreams and aspirations.
Featuring three levels of educational experiences and exhibits designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, the 80,000-square-foot building ranks as one of the largest children's museums in the country.
Within minutes of yesterday's noontime opening -- preceded by a parade and a raucous ribbon-cutting ceremony -- kids were in every corner of the former city fish market at 35 Market Place.
The crowds were so heavy that staffers had to issue timed tickets to control the number of people inside at any given moment.
"We feel we're really off to a spectacular start," said executive director Kathy Dwyer Southern. "The general comments we received throughout the day indicate that people had a great time."
Museum staffers saw a high percentage of people who bought individual tickets and then converted them to memberships, Southern said: "In all, we sold about 250 memberships. That's the ultimate complement."
Michael Spock, the children's museum expert who helped plan Port Discovery, said he was delighted with the opening.
"It was a fabulous day, an incredible day," Spock said. "It was full of tiny problems, which you have when you open any place.
"But there were also thousands of happily absorbed, completely bushed people. You cross your fingers, and sometimes it just seems to go right."
The crowd was about half adults and half children. Spock said he was particularly happy to see a high percentage of older kids, which some children's museums have had difficulty attracting, and to see so many of them "thoroughly enjoying themselves."
Spock said he was pleased to see that the mix of visitors was culturally diverse. "It looked like a cross section of Baltimore," he said. "It didn't look like the usual museum-going crowd."
Finally, he said, he was glad to see many of the kids staying three hours or more because that meant "they kept finding new things to do in spite of fatigue."
Kids have a reputation for having short attention spans, but that is not necessarily true, Spock said. "When kids become engaged, they really become engaged for a long period of time."
One of the earliest visitors was Madeline Plout, a first-grader at Chatsworth Elementary School in Reisterstown. She asked her mother, Kate, to bring her, she said, after seeing commercials for the museum on television.
Another first-day visitor was Matthew Hopkins, a third-grader at Mount Washington Elementary School in Baltimore. He had been to one of the previews this month and came back yesterday with his grandparents and several friends.
Matthew was especially proud that he found all the clues at Adventure Expeditions, an exhibit that challenges kids to find the hidden tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh. But he said he was frightened by the maze leading up to the tomb. "They made it too scary with all the sounds," he said.
Parents and grandparents had other criticisms. Several expressed concern that the coat room wasn't attended. Some were worried about losing track of their kids, especially when they didn't all want to visit the same area.
Marion Brenna, a Pasadena resident who came with her husband and two grandchildren, said she didn't think the jungle gym was exciting enough.
"It's a good idea," she said. But "it should be more of a challenge. Maybe the top should revolve or something."
Brenna liked the fisherman sculpture by artist-in-residence Steve Gerberich. "I wouldn't mind having that in my yard."
The museum's uniformed employees and volunteers are always available to help parents look for lost children -- or vice versa -- and the staffers can communicate by headphones to find someone in a hurry. Yesterday, the museum had about 30 volunteers to supplement a paid staff of 30 inside the museum, and no kids were lost at the end of the day.
So far, about 100 people have signed up to work as volunteers, and the museum needs about 300 more to work either behind the scenes or inside the museum, said Mindy Amor, director of volunteer services. "It's a great cure for the post-holiday blues."
Southern said she was pleased with the general flow of traffic throughout the building because there were no major "logjams."
Many of the kids, she said, started at the KidWorks climbing structure in the center of the building and then spread out from there, once they got an overview of the museum and figured out what they wanted to do next.
Port Discovery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5: 30 p.m. Staffers say they will be fine-tuning the building in response to suggestions from kids and parents -- such as the recommendation for a guarded coat room.
One area that received high marks was Sensation Station, an area with activities designed for toddlers. Parents said it was a godsend for groups with children too young to enjoy the more complicated exhibits.
Many parents also said they liked the variety of activities, which range from classes in making bubble gum to a participatory game show about earning and spending money.
"I think it's really neat," said Debbie Kearney, an X-ray technologist from Pasadena. "The kids like it. It's fun. It's colorful. There's a lot to do."
At the end of the day, some kids didn't want to go home.
"We brought an 8-year-old, a 10-year-old and a 3-year-old, and there were enough activities for all of them," said Ronnie Weidenhammer, who came with her niece and three great-nieces. "The only one who's tired is the adult."
HAMBURG keeper Rene Adler has once again moved to downplay suggestions he could be making a summer move to Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger has yet to make an official approach for Adler, who has been deemed a more affordable option as doubts continue to linger over Wojciech Szczesny.
The Gunners who are likely to be handed a £70m transfer kitty, saw a £10m bid for Sporting Lisbon keeper Rui Patricio turned down.
Although Wenger wants to buy a new number one shot stopper, Adler has moved quickly to quell reports that he is in line with a move to the Emirates.
"I am under contract with Hamburg, that is a fact.
"I can say that I have not thought about leaving or considered a transfer since I joined Hamburg (in May 2012)."
Adler has made 31 appearances in the Bundesliga this season, keeping six clean sheets.
A Hayward construction company owner was convicted by a federal jury in Oakland of engaging in the forced labor of undocumented workers he recruited from Mexico.
Job Torres Hernandez, 38, was found guilty of one count of obtaining forced labor and a second count of harboring and concealing undocumented immigrants for financial gain.
He will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White on June 25 and could face up to 20 years in prison on the forced labor conviction and 10 years on the harboring conviction.
U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Abraham Simmons said evidence at the 10-day trial showed that Torres recruited workers from Mexico, paid them far less than what he promised, kept them in squalid conditions and threatened them or their family members if they complained.
The evidence showed that Torres housed dozens of workers in a warehouse in Hayward and other properties, with limited access to showers and toilets, and at times kept the properties locked, according to Simmons.
Simmons said witnesses testified that Torres told the workers that if they reported him to authorities, he would harm them physically, have associates in Mexico harm their families and have them deported.
After Torres was arrested and charged in August 2017, prosecutors said that seven people were recovered from the warehouse during a search.
Torres had been free on bail, but was ordered into custody by White immediately after the conviction.
Drake freshman guard D.J. Wilkins will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a broken bone in his left ankle, the school announced Monday.
Wilkins, from Merrillville, Ind., led the Bulldogs in minutes played and assists while averaging 11.1 points per game.
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team was selected as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Committee’s final top-16 reveal announced Monday.
If the season ended today, the Hawkeyes (23-6) would be the No. 8 overall seed, and host the NCAA first and second rounds in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa State was also among the top 16 teams in Monday's reveal. Baylor, Louisville, Notre Dame and UConn are the No. 1 seeds.
The Cedar Valley CourtKings open their 2019 training camp Saturday at the Boys and Girls Club of Waterloo.
The CourtKings return a strong nucleus that includes 2018 Midwest Basketball League MVP Brady Burford, David Stanley Queshawn Roby, Aundre Hicks, Anthony James and Mack Johnson, who is currently playing in Spain.
Among the newcomers expected at camp are former Adams State standout Jaree Crawford, former Massachusetts 7-footer Isaac Freeman, Kelvin Mackey of Grand View, Jordan Burich of St. Thomas, Emeche Wells of Southwest Oklahoma State, Chamar Wilson of Northeast Community College, Mitchell Hammer of Cedar Falls, Cael Lambe of Union Community High and Jared Sutherland, who played for the MBL Select team previously.
Waterloo Black Hawks goaltender Evan Fear was named United States Hockey League Goaltender of the Week Monday.
Fear, acquired in a recent trade, went 1-1 last weekend. He was in goal for a 2-0 shutout of Fargo when he made 34 saves, then turned away 30 more shots Saturday in a 2-1 loss to the Force.
Thomas Breach is returning as the Waterloo Bucks' play-by-play announcer for the 2019 Northwoods League season.
The Minnesota native and St. Cloud State University senior is also the voice of St. Cloud State baseball and volleyball, director of baseball operations at St. Cloud State, as well as sports director at KVSC 88.1 FM.
Bucks games will be streamed online at www.waterloobucks.com.
Seven University of Iowa wrestlers are seeded among the top five at their respective weights heading into the Big Ten Championships that begin Saturday in Minneapolis.
Spencer Lee (16-2 at 125), Austin DeSanto (16-2 at 133) and Alex Marinelli (20-0 at 165) are No. 2 seeds. Pat Lugo (149) and Jacob Warner (197) are seeded third, and Kaleb Young (157) and Cash Wilcke (184) are five seeds. Sam Stoll is the eight-seed at 285, and Mitch Bowman is No. 10 at 174 pounds.
Wartburg College will send a large contingent of athletes to the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday and Saturday in Boston, Mass.
The Knights have qualified in six women's and six men's events.
Women's qualifiers are Alanna Muhammad (60), Cassidy Christopher (3,000), Carina Collet (5,000), Maggi Bjustrom (60 hurdles), Anan Rehberg (shot put) and the 4x400 of Belle Tyynismaa, Carson McSorely, Lily Campbell and Jackie Ganshirt.
Men's qualifiers are Mark Schulz and Dalton Martin (800), Casey Roberts (mile), Caleb Appleton (3,000), Sam Pinkowski and Joe Freiberger (5,000), Famiek Cook (long jump) and the distance medley relay of Roberts, Cook, Schulz and Pinkowski).
Waterloo Leisure Services is accepting registrations for its USSSA youth baseball and fastpitch softball leagues for players in the 9-under through 14-under age divisions.
Cost is $395 per team, plus tax and teams must be USSSA sanctioned.
For more information, call the Cedar Valley SportsPlex at (319) 291-0165 or go online at www.cvsportsplex.org.
The Big Ten Conference announced Monday that James E. Delany will officially conclude his term as league commissioner at the end of his current contract, which expires on June 30, 2020.
The Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors has initiated a search process for a replacement.
Two apparel specialists and a youth-focused company top this list of retailers that look attractive as investments today.
Big changes are sweeping the retailing industry today, and the shifts are creating a premium for the strongest, most nimble companies. Identifying these winners is a challenge for investors, though, since temporary sales trends can often give a false sense of long-term stability.
With that in mind, Motley Fool investors scoured the industry for examples of retailers that boast attractive long-run growth opportunities. Read on to find out why Five Below (NASDAQ:FIVE), lululemon (NASDAQ:LULU), and Boot Barn (NYSE:BOOT) topped that list.
Jeremy Bowman (Five Below): The past few years haven't been so kind to retailers as the rise of e-commerce has threatened the traditional brick-and-mortar storefront, forcing thousands of store closures in what some have dubbed the "retail apocalypse."
However, a handful of retailers have been able to thrive in spite of this climate as their models are not easily transferred to the online channel. One of those is Five Below, a chain that sells only items for $5 or less with merchandise like toys, games, gifts, books, and candy, targeting teens and other bargain-minded shoppers looking for fun, whimsical merchandise. Such items are often too cheap to justify shipping or designed for impulse-buying that works best in strip malls and physical locations.
That formula has been an undeniable success for the company so far. The stock has doubled following a surge after its recent earnings report, and has nearly quadrupled since its 2012 IPO. In the recent quarter, sales jumped 27.2% to $296.3 million on 3.2% comparable sales growth and strong new store performance. Operating income nearly doubled in the period to $24.7 million as margins continue to improve, and earnings per share jumped from $0.15 to $0.35 in part due to a lower tax rate from tax reform.
For the full year, management expects earnings per share to increase by about a third to $2.42 to $2.48, and over the long term it sees an opportunity to quadruple its store base to 2,500. That should ensure continued growth for the coming years, especially as the company's model seems to make it recession-proof.
Demitri Kalogeropoulos (Lululemon): Few companies understand the risks of stumbling in the apparel business as well as Lululemon does. The yoga-inspired clothing specialist faced a sharp sales growth contraction and plunging profit margins in connection with quality control problems that ultimately led to a shakeup in its management team.
But those problems are now firmly in the rear-view mirror. The retailer last posted a healthy 19% sales spike that, along with improving profitably, helped both revenue and earnings surpass management's first-quarter guidance by a wide margin.
The latest trends suggest Lululemon will pass $3 billion in annual sales this year even as gross profit margin climbs closer to its all time high of 57% of sales. The company will need to release a steady string of high-quality merchandise this year, and keep that winning streak going into 2019 for a shot at achieving its $4 billion annual sales goal by 2020. But, with customer traffic holding up well in its physical stores, and with its booming online sales channel delivering strong profits, this retailer is well positioned to expand its reach to more of its core female customers -- and out into new niches like men's fitness.
Steve Symington (Boot Barn): Boot Barn might not be the first company many investors think of in the retail space, but the Western work wear and apparel retailer is making all the right moves to reward patient shareholders.