Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Facebook uses your identities


Facebook has long kept track of the websites its users visit when they aren't on the social network. Three months ago, it began using the data to build more detailed user profiles, allowing advertisers to target people with more personalized marketing pitches.

That has rankled some retailers, advertisers and Internet publishers, which worry that the wider use of browsing history will hand Facebook, and potentially their own rivals, more information about existing and prospective customers.

Companies that want users to share content on Facebook install a small bit of Facebook code, called a pixel tag, on their sites; the pixel is often associated with Facebook's "Like" and "Share" buttons. Many websites have installed the code, allowing the social network to record a significant amount of Internet activity.

Facebook places another bit of code, known as a cookie, on its users' computers. When a user visits other websites that have Facebook's code, Facebook can recognize the cookie, building a record of how the user surfs the Web.

Facebook also can track users on their phones. Some mobile app publishers, aiming to optimize their advertising on the social network, let Facebook know the unique hardware identifiers of their app users. Facebook can match the IDs to those of its own mobile users.

(In order to access Facebook, all users are required to agree to the company's terms of service, which allow for such data to be collected.)

To be sure, many other companies, including Google Inc., GOOGL +1.08%  track the browsing histories of Internet users to help target advertising.


But advertisers say sending information to Google doesn't scare them as much as sending information to Facebook, mainly because Facebook knows users' real identities.

Courtesy -Wall Street Journal Sep 23rd 2014 



Saturday, September 20, 2014

Kovakka Ulathiyath /Ivy Goud Stir fry




One more entry to my cooking recipe. a vegetable stir fry,

Ingredients:-
  • Kovakka (Ivy Gourd) - 250gm
  • Green chili -2
  • Garlic Chopped -1
  • Turmeric Powder - a pinch
  • Curry Leaves -3-4 
  • Small Onions -3
  • Mustard Seeds - 1tsp
  • Oil -2 spoon
  • Salt to taste.
Method:-
  1. Clean and slice as above.
  2. Heat Oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
  3. Add chopped onion and curry leaves and fry for a minute.
  4. Add chopped kovakka , chilli’s, garlic and turmeric powder mix and toss it well.
  5. Sprinkle 2/3 tsp of water, cover the pan with lid and cook for 6/7 minutes.
  6. Remove the lid and stir fry for another 3/4 minutes.
  7. Remove and serve warm with roti /rice.
Health benefits  of this vegetable include,

  1. Improved bowel movements of the body due to existence of vitamin A and beta carotene in vegetable.
  2. Liver enzyme in vegetable controls the blood sugar level in a natural way.
  3. Development of general structure of body due to increased Vitamin A,C, B1 and B2 in vegetable
  4. It is used as a  medicine to cure asthma, bronchitis,jaundice.
  5. Ability of detoxification acts ideal in cleaning our blood also.
So choice is your try this dish :)

Regards
Ann

Tip of the day

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Happy Onam all !!


September 7th 2014
This year I celebrated yet another Onam, and this time it is perfectly virtual or electronic ... in all sense ..

Onam happens to be on a Sunday one my favourite day of the week , started with sunday mass and sunday brunch of usual chappathis and peas curry. Spoke to parents and sisters (both made it home ) and grandma they are 6000 miles away from me, by the time I spoke to them they have finished there Onam Sadhya same as above pic, with our own plantain leaf from garden. I have a time difference of 4.5 hrs with them and it is very good evening over there and they are getting ready to sunday church.
I did n't cook anything special for Onam this year as it is not worth doing it for one person..

Thousands of miles away from the homeland affected my spells of nostalgia to prepare a few Onam special dishes at home. Relatives back there in the land of King Mahabali purchased the readymade Ona-sadhyas (meals) to captivate TV programmes. Times have changed and my cooking habits too.. Simple gestures of affection are enough to brighten up and enliven even an ordinary day. Thanks to all my school and college friends who wished me Onam along with theirs family.

Wishing you a wonder full Onam where ever you are in the globe :)