A Latin American decade?
Source: www.economist.com (Adapted) Sep 9th, 2010

Summit meetings involving Latin America's presidents are so frequent these days that Mexico's Mr Calderón has likened diplomacy in the region to a mountain range. Yet for all the talk of regional integration, political Latin America looks more divided than ever. Mr Chávez likes to threaten war against Colombia, which in turn accuses him of harbouring its FARC guerrillas. Sub-regional trade groups such as Mercosur and the Andean Community, which made progress in the 1990s, have stagnated or fallen apart.

Yet while politicians bicker, corporate Latin America is quietly moving closer together. A growing army of multilatinas have expanded abroad. Some, like Embraer or Bimbo, have become global multinationals. Many others, including Chilean retailers and Brazilian banks and construction firms, have expanded within Latin America. Some Mexican firms, led by América Móvil, a telecoms giant, are moving into Brazil. Until recently such firms tended to list their shares in New York, but now a Latin American capital market is poised to emerge. In three to five years there will be a seamless network of Latin American stock exchanges, including Mexico's, reckons Mr Oliveira of BRAIN Brasil.

The market-oriented reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, combined with a few years of commoditydriven prosperity, are transforming Latin American business.

A Latin American decade?
Source: www.economist.com (Adapted) Sep 9th, 2010

Summit meetings involving Latin America's presidents are so frequent these days that Mexico's Mr Calderón has likened diplomacy in the region to a mountain range. Yet for all the talk of regional integration, political Latin America looks more divided than ever. Mr Chávez likes to threaten war against Colombia, which in turn accuses him of harbouring its FARC guerrillas. Sub-regional trade groups such as Mercosur and the Andean Community, which made progress in the 1990s, have stagnated or fallen apart.

Yet while politicians bicker, corporate Latin America is quietly moving closer together. A growing army of multilatinas have expanded abroad. Some, like Embraer or Bimbo, have become global multinationals. Many others, including Chilean retailers and Brazilian banks and construction firms, have expanded within Latin America. Some Mexican firms, led by América Móvil, a telecoms giant, are moving into Brazil. Until recently such firms tended to list their shares in New York, but now a Latin American capital market is poised to emerge. In three to five years there will be a seamless network of Latin American stock exchanges, including Mexico's, reckons Mr Oliveira of BRAIN Brasil.

The market-oriented reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, combined with a few years of commoditydriven prosperity, are transforming Latin American business.

10 Ways to Protect Your Privacy Online
Source: www.newsweek.com (Adapted) Oct, 22nd 2010

Up to a couple of years ago, I used to say that the average person could protect his or her privacy on the Web. Even as the founder of an online reputation-management company, I believed it was possible - so long as you were willing to commit some time doing it. Today, I tell people this: the landscape of personal data mining and exploitation is shifting faster than ever; trying to protect your online privacy is like trying to build your own antivirus software - really, really difficult. But whether or not you have the time (or money) to invest in the pros, there are a few simple steps we can all take to reduce the risk to our private data.

1. Do not put your full birth date on your socialnetworking profiles.

Identity thieves use birth dates as cornerstones of their craft. If you want your friends to know your birthday, try just the month and day, and leave out the year.

2. Use multiple usernames and passwords.

Keep your usernames and passwords for social networks, online banking, e-mail, and online shopping all separate. Having distinct passwords is not enough nowadays: if you have the same username across different Web sites, your entire life can be mapped and re-created with simple algorithms.

3. Shred.

If you are going to throw away credit-card offers, bank statements, or anything else that might come in hard copy to your house, rip them up into tiny bits first.

10 Ways to Protect Your Privacy Online
Source: www.newsweek.com (Adapted) Oct, 22nd 2010

Up to a couple of years ago, I used to say that the average person could protect his or her privacy on the Web. Even as the founder of an online reputation-management company, I believed it was possible - so long as you were willing to commit some time doing it. Today, I tell people this: the landscape of personal data mining and exploitation is shifting faster than ever; trying to protect your online privacy is like trying to build your own antivirus software - really, really difficult. But whether or not you have the time (or money) to invest in the pros, there are a few simple steps we can all take to reduce the risk to our private data.

1. Do not put your full birth date on your socialnetworking profiles.

Identity thieves use birth dates as cornerstones of their craft. If you want your friends to know your birthday, try just the month and day, and leave out the year.

2. Use multiple usernames and passwords.

Keep your usernames and passwords for social networks, online banking, e-mail, and online shopping all separate. Having distinct passwords is not enough nowadays: if you have the same username across different Web sites, your entire life can be mapped and re-created with simple algorithms.

3. Shred.

If you are going to throw away credit-card offers, bank statements, or anything else that might come in hard copy to your house, rip them up into tiny bits first.

10 Ways to Protect Your Privacy Online
Source: www.newsweek.com (Adapted) Oct, 22nd 2010

Up to a couple of years ago, I used to say that the average person could protect his or her privacy on the Web. Even as the founder of an online reputation-management company, I believed it was possible - so long as you were willing to commit some time doing it. Today, I tell people this: the landscape of personal data mining and exploitation is shifting faster than ever; trying to protect your online privacy is like trying to build your own antivirus software - really, really difficult. But whether or not you have the time (or money) to invest in the pros, there are a few simple steps we can all take to reduce the risk to our private data.

1. Do not put your full birth date on your socialnetworking profiles.

Identity thieves use birth dates as cornerstones of their craft. If you want your friends to know your birthday, try just the month and day, and leave out the year.

2. Use multiple usernames and passwords.

Keep your usernames and passwords for social networks, online banking, e-mail, and online shopping all separate. Having distinct passwords is not enough nowadays: if you have the same username across different Web sites, your entire life can be mapped and re-created with simple algorithms.

3. Shred.

If you are going to throw away credit-card offers, bank statements, or anything else that might come in hard copy to your house, rip them up into tiny bits first.