Posted by admin on Jun 22, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments
The television show American Idol is making headlines in the mainstream media as well as celebrity gossip magazines such as Star Magazine and In Touch Weekly concerning a grassroots online campaign for viewers to tune in and vote for the worst candidate who happens to be contestant Sanjaya Malakar.
All over the media people are weighing in with their opinions. Internet message boards and forums have been abuzz with both outrage and support of the campaign started by website Vote for the Worst to vote only for the worst candidate in the karaoke like contest. According to the website owners they began the site to shed light on what they felt was hypocrisy in the amateur talent contest which seems to push those with less than stellar talent along while those with true singing talent get pushed to the wayside.
In defense of American Idol, it seems that the creators of Vote for the Worst seem to forget that the entertainment industry is after all a business. While viewers may become endeared to certain contestants there is a certain indescribable quality necessary in order to become a successful pop artist. While fans defied the practical Simon Cowell and voted for Taylor Hicks, even his fan base the Soul Patrol has not been able to boost his less than great record sales.
In truth the judges of American Idol along with the producers are looking to find someone who is more than a great singer. The person chosen has to have a specific kind of personality, has to be able to command attention to them and dare I say it should be easy on the eyes as well. The idea at the onset is to give a record contract to whoever might be the winner, and that person should be able to sell records.
The reality is that some of the biggest selling artists of today do not necessarily have the greatest singing voices. Yet, singers like Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Madonna and Jennifer Lopez are able to fill stadiums for concerts and sell millions and millions of copies of their records. It is the responsibility of the judges and producers to find the total package, and angry fans like the creators of Vote for the Worst have an idealistic view of how the contest itself should work.
While most people love singers in this years contest like Melinda Doolittle and Lakisha Jones we all understand that contestants like Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis would probably make a better idol in terms of sales. Requesting that the people behind American Idol choose people on talent alone would be demanding that the record company contractually bound to bank on a winner whose album would not necessarily result in any significant record sales.
In the likelihood that Sanjaya Malakar should win what happens to American Idol? Sites like Vote for the Worst have done their job; they can pack up and go home. Malakar, a national punch line has to be signed by J Records, the company started by former Arista head Clive Davis. Those that were quick to rush to the phones are unlikely to pay fifteen dollars to listen to an album the lackluster singer has recorded or pay ninety nine cents to download anything produced by him either. To add insult to injury a singer really deserving of the contract is out of luck, and everyone wins, right? Vote for the worst if you dare.
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Posted by admin on Jun 17, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments
The online news coverer Slashdot.com recently addressed the issue of “How To Spot E-Vote Tampering.” The advice offered from experts on this “News for Nerds” site was: “Use tamper evident tape to seal the case, cover keyholes and block any open ports.”
Soon thereafter, the topic of vote tampering went national and extended beyond the e-voting arena into the paper-based vote casting. Alaska’s Peninsula Clarion covered the topic when it ran an article titled “Security measures implemented by state division of elections.” Therein, it was revealed that while “Alaska’s election security apparatus … showed the system to be in good shape,” it was still “in need of some improvements.”
More specifically, “the University of Alaska Anchorage released a report [that] valuated the state’s election system in detail and recommended ways to strengthen the technology and election procedures.” Some of the recommendations proposed were: “Seals that would reveal tampering should be used on all voting equipment; election security information should be added to poll workers’ training manuals; there should be increased vigilance about security procedures at absentee polling places; and state-owned voting machines should be used in the North Slope Borough rather than borrowing borough-owned machines.”
The election systems manager for the Division of Elections assures “that tamper-evident seals have been placed on all equipment.” This is just one of the newest ways in which tamper-evident seals are making Americans’ way of life safer and more secure. For years, heat shrink PVC, shrink bands and shrink labels for tamper-evident seals have been used to alleviate Americans’ concerns over tainted foods and beverages, health and beauty aids, pharmaceuticals, industrial, chemical and hardware. Now, vote authenication can be added to that growing list.
A leading manufacturer, converter and printer of heat shrink PVC, PET-G, OPS & EathFirst PLA films specializes in vibrantly printed shrink labels and heat shrink bands. Such products are used for tamper evidence and shrink sleeves on promotional multipacks and other shrink products.
In addition to tamper evidence, heat shrink PVC can be used in many different ways. Full sleeve printed labels for product identification and sleeve labels combined with tamper-evidence are common uses as well as sleeves, either printed or clear, for multi-packing, with new products and uses for these seals popping up every day. For instance, EarthFirst shrink labels, a PLA film make of corn, not oil, was recently introduced. This environmentally friendly, compostable shrink wrap provides the same excellent clarity, machineability, printability and secure shrinkage as oil wrap with less impact on the earth.
As the Penisula Courier points out, “Alaska voters can [now] go to the polls and cast their ballots knowing that their votes are secure” thanks to tamper-evident seals. The technology allows voters to now enjoy the same peace of mind consumers have been at the grocery market, the drugstore, the pharmacy and the hardware store. What’s next for the evolving tamper-evident industry? Only time will tell, but whatever it is, it’s sure to include exceptional quality, design and interesting technique.
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Posted by admin on Jun 12, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments
According to a recent article By Roland Pease of the BBC Radio Science Unit, “perfect secrecy has come a step closer with the launch of the world’s first computer network protected by unbreakable quantum encryption”.
The article, published on the BBC News website on 9 October 2008, talks about quantum cryptography and how it differs from the mathematically-based security systems used on today’s computer networks which are said to be extremely hard – but not impossible – for outsiders to crack.
Quantum encryption certainly sounds like the next generation of computer security but is it too early to be discounting traditional security measures and considering them sub-standard in comparison?
Ian Haughton, Managing Director of Corporate Mailing Solutions thinks not. Providing transactional mail and election services to a long list of blue chip financial institutions for several years means that Ian has been working at the core of an industry where data security is paramount. He says, “Amongst other things we’ve had to make sure our online voting system – Castavote – is based on absolute data security, otherwise our clients just wouldn’t entertain it. All voting data is secured by 128-bit SSL security certificates on servers that are protected by several of the very best hacker, fraud and malicious code safeguards.”
Castavote is a consumer-tested, custom-designed online voting system that offers voters a convenient, secure and modern online voting option that can be seamlessly integrated into any client’s website.
Getting down to the nitty gritty of security features, Castavote offers a cast iron interface including a random modulated entry system, a web server-run script to prevent incorrect data entries, a firewall-protected SQL database that holds no personal voter information, server-based scripting, and a web server that is managed by an internationally reputable company recognised as having one of the world’s most secure data centres.
Castavote offers exceedingly high levels of security together with a range of additional benefits that has made it attractive to various building societies and financial institutions.
Ian Haughton is the Managing Director of CMS Limited, providers of Castavote, a custom-designed, consumer-tested online voting system that can save on manpower and resources and at the same time encourage a greater voter response when used as part of postal ballot or election mailings. For more information visit 
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