Target spying on their customers

Target logoBad Corporate culture, or a handy reminder? At least the customers should know about this, and have the option to “opt-in” to this “service.”

– Using data to predict a woman’s pregnancy, Target realized soon after Pole perfected his model, could be a public-relations disaster. So the question became: how could they get their advertisements into expectant mothers’ hands without making it appear they were spying on them? How do you take advantage of someone’s habits without letting them know you’re studying their lives?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.html

HDMI dummy signal generator for X-Fi HomeTheater HD

HDMI dummy signal snuggle logoI bought a cheap media player with HDMI output capability, and it works perfectly with the Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD. Without you would have to provide the dummy signal from you graphics card, and that meant having an emtpy screen area your mouse could dissapear to. Since the hdmi signal is always on, this solution has the added benefit that you hear the Windows startup and logon sounds. I have not yet tested DTS, DD or DTS Master HD.

The media player I used is a BaiYuYi Mini Hdmi Media Player. An Altona AT-HDVIEW should work and the Raspberry Pi. The BaiYuYi does not turn off the display or shut down after a certain time, it is on all the time.

Warning: this media player does not support HDCP so you won’t be able to pass-through DTS-MA or DD TrueHD, but you can decode the audio with the player and send uncompressed 8 channel PCM through.  Continue reading