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Some People Think They Know Themselves Well, But Do They Really?
January 17, 2015
Some people will tell you that they have a clear sense of who they are, and that their sense of self is stable over time. Psychologists refer to this as having high "self-concept clarity". In a new study, Jean Guerrettaz and Robert Arkin shine a spotlight on these self-proclaimed self-knowers. The researchers find that their confidence is often fragile, and that somewhat paradoxically, it is people confident in their sense of self whose self-esteem is most undermined by challenging questions about...
January 17, 2015
Some people will tell you that they have a clear sense of who they are, and that their sense of self is stable over time. Psychologists refer to this as having high "self-concept clarity". In a new study, Jean Guerrettaz and Robert Arkin shine a spotlight on these self-proclaimed self-knowers. The researchers find that their confidence is often fragile, and that somewhat paradoxically, it is people confident in their sense of self whose self-esteem is most undermined by challenging questions about...
Researchers Create Program that “Solves” Texas Hold’em Poker
January 17, 2015
Researchers in Canada say they’ve created a computer program that has “weakly solved” a form of poker. It may be the first such solution for a game where players don’t have all relevant information available to them. Cepheus, developed at the University of Alberta, is said to be able to play a perfect game of two-player limit Texas Hold’em Poker. If you’re wondering why the researchers have published their findings rather than using Cepheus to make their fortune, it’s because what...
January 17, 2015
Researchers in Canada say they’ve created a computer program that has “weakly solved” a form of poker. It may be the first such solution for a game where players don’t have all relevant information available to them. Cepheus, developed at the University of Alberta, is said to be able to play a perfect game of two-player limit Texas Hold’em Poker. If you’re wondering why the researchers have published their findings rather than using Cepheus to make their fortune, it’s because what...
Marriott Abandons Quest to Block Personal Wi-Fi Hot Spots
January 17, 2015
After an unsuccessful legal and PR battle, the hotel chain says it will not seek to be allowed to block personal hot spots in its conference and convention areas. If you're like most travelers, you probably never suspected that your hotel was blocking your personal hot spot. But in October, after Marriott was fined $600,000 by the FCC for blocking Wi-Fi access at its Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, the issue suddenly popped up on road warriors' agendas. (You can see our best-and-worst...
January 17, 2015
After an unsuccessful legal and PR battle, the hotel chain says it will not seek to be allowed to block personal hot spots in its conference and convention areas. If you're like most travelers, you probably never suspected that your hotel was blocking your personal hot spot. But in October, after Marriott was fined $600,000 by the FCC for blocking Wi-Fi access at its Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, the issue suddenly popped up on road warriors' agendas. (You can see our best-and-worst...
Hyatt to Launch Free Wi-Fi Access Worldwide
January 17, 2015
As part of the company’s continued efforts to evolve the guest experience by listening and responding to guest needs, Hyatt...
January 17, 2015
As part of the company’s continued efforts to evolve the guest experience by listening and responding to guest needs, Hyatt...
Friday Round-up: SCOTUS Goes Electronic
January 16, 2015
Electronic filing at the Supreme Court. If you think of the Supreme Court as a judicial luddite, think again. In his year-end report on the federal judiciary, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. revealed that the court is currently developing its own electronic filing system, which may be operational as soon as 2016. “Once the system is implemented, all filings at the Court—petitions and responses to petitions, merits briefs, and all other types of motions and applications—will be available to the legal...
January 16, 2015
Electronic filing at the Supreme Court. If you think of the Supreme Court as a judicial luddite, think again. In his year-end report on the federal judiciary, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. revealed that the court is currently developing its own electronic filing system, which may be operational as soon as 2016. “Once the system is implemented, all filings at the Court—petitions and responses to petitions, merits briefs, and all other types of motions and applications—will be available to the legal...
Do You Think a Consumer Website Can Arbitrate Disputes? Maybe Not Without Prior Approval
January 16, 2015
The American Arbitration Association (AAA) changed its Consumer Arbitration Rules effective Sept. 1, 2014 and now requires AAA pre-approval and annual renewal for Terms of Service that obligate consumers to arbitrate disputes. According to the AAA, “contracts that typically meet the criteria for application of these Rules, if the contract is for personal or household goods or services and has an arbitration provision, include, but are not limited to the following:” Credit card agreements Telecommunications...
January 16, 2015
The American Arbitration Association (AAA) changed its Consumer Arbitration Rules effective Sept. 1, 2014 and now requires AAA pre-approval and annual renewal for Terms of Service that obligate consumers to arbitrate disputes. According to the AAA, “contracts that typically meet the criteria for application of these Rules, if the contract is for personal or household goods or services and has an arbitration provision, include, but are not limited to the following:” Credit card agreements Telecommunications...
A New Dawn for Mediation? The Launch of SIMC
January 16, 2015
The Singapore International Mediation Centre (“SIMC”) was officially launched on 5 November 2014. Set up following the recommendations of a Working Group chaired by Edwin Glasgow CBE QC and George Lim SC, the SIMC will supplement the array of international dispute resolution options available in Singapore. Of particular note is the establishment of a new ‘Arb-Med-Arb’ protocol (“AMA Protocol”), to be administered by the SIMC in conjunction with the Singapore International Arbitration...
January 16, 2015
The Singapore International Mediation Centre (“SIMC”) was officially launched on 5 November 2014. Set up following the recommendations of a Working Group chaired by Edwin Glasgow CBE QC and George Lim SC, the SIMC will supplement the array of international dispute resolution options available in Singapore. Of particular note is the establishment of a new ‘Arb-Med-Arb’ protocol (“AMA Protocol”), to be administered by the SIMC in conjunction with the Singapore International Arbitration...
Number of Jury Trials May Be On the Rise
January 15, 2015
I had the opportunity to hear Chief U.S. District Judge Janet Hall give her annual "state of the district" report to the Connecticut Bar Association's Federal Practice Section the other day. One of the pleasures of being bar president is getting to be a fly on the wall as learned and collegial groups such as the federal section gather to celebrate the good things they have accomplished together and mourn those who have left us. One interesting piece of information was that the number of completed...
January 15, 2015
I had the opportunity to hear Chief U.S. District Judge Janet Hall give her annual "state of the district" report to the Connecticut Bar Association's Federal Practice Section the other day. One of the pleasures of being bar president is getting to be a fly on the wall as learned and collegial groups such as the federal section gather to celebrate the good things they have accomplished together and mourn those who have left us. One interesting piece of information was that the number of completed...
Preventing Conflicts Between Trustees and Beneficiaries
January 15, 2015
The relationship between trustees and beneficiaries is often complicated and can lead to expensive litigation and broken...
January 15, 2015
The relationship between trustees and beneficiaries is often complicated and can lead to expensive litigation and broken...
Reconcile System 1 & 2 Thinking
January 15, 2015
“If your gut reaction is different from the decision you reach after more deliberative processing, it is important to reconcile this inconsistency. If you let your gut rule, something as simple as whether a choice is framed as a gain or a loss might influence a decision. But if you ignore your gut and completely base your decision only on a cold calculation of the costs and benefits, you may be ignoring internal warning signs that ‘something isn’t right,’ such as the omission of the decision’s...
January 15, 2015
“If your gut reaction is different from the decision you reach after more deliberative processing, it is important to reconcile this inconsistency. If you let your gut rule, something as simple as whether a choice is framed as a gain or a loss might influence a decision. But if you ignore your gut and completely base your decision only on a cold calculation of the costs and benefits, you may be ignoring internal warning signs that ‘something isn’t right,’ such as the omission of the decision’s...
