Playing with a virtual reality toy may lead the player to imagine features of the device that weren’t there, according to a marketing professor’s study, Learning Through Virtual Product Experience:
The Role of Imagery on True Versus False Memories.

Although object-interactivity will likely improve memory of associations compared to static pictures and text, it may lead to the creation of vivid internally-generated recollections that pose as real memories. Consequently, compared to information conveyed via static pictures and text, object-interactivity may cause people to falsely recognize more non-presented features.

Perhaps the recollections of that witness who is an avid consumer of a “virtual experience” game aren’t so reliable in other areas. Something to add to your false memory folder.

Thanks: Ars Technica

The Del Norte County California Tax Assessor records can be searched by parcel number.

Sometimes public records that are not available at a government site can be found at a free private Web site. Newspapers have gathered records and built searchable databases, as is the case with crime reports in San Antonio, Texas. The Express-News Crimebase can be searched by type of offense, ZIP code, street names, reporting officer or report number.

The Kentucky Court has been mandated to destroy all misdemeanor files older than 5 years. Cases filed before 2001 have already been purged.

The Multnomah County, Oregon Auditor’s Office has released its report, Public Records: Eliminate barriers to citizen access, a brief examination and statistical compilation of the response of county agencies to public record act requests. The Oregonian concludes that the county may be in violation of Oregon’s Public Records Law.

A Pittsburgh Tribune article is reporting that the Tarentum, Pennsylvaina town council will hire a private investigator with a $5,000 cap to determine where Councilwoman Ginger Sopcak lives.

It seems allegations have been made against the councilwoman alleging that she no longer lives within her district. Residents and council members have questioned in recent months where Sopcak keeps her primary residence.

This is an opportunity for private investigators to market a similar service to town councils throughout the United States.

The law enforcement departments that track gun permit holders are not keeping their records current, according to an article on permits issued to New York pistol owners. The newspaper has posted the names and addresses of licensees in two New York counties.

The Argus Leader has posted a searchable database of all weapon permit holders in South Dakota, which the newspaper obtained just before a state law made those names confidential in July 2006.

The Ohio Attorney General has a database of conceal carry weapon instructors that can be searched statewide by name. Select “unknown” from the alphabetical county list (just after Union) to search statewide. Results include the instructor’s telephone number.

Concealed carry laws and topical discussions can be found at Packing.org.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that actor Tom Arnold will play the role of a private investigator in a comedic thriller titled “Remarkable Power.” One can only imagine how our profession will be portrayed as Tom plays what has been described as a “low-rent” private investigator. The story will be centered in Los Angeles and include an experienced supporting staff. No date has been announced for its release.

Federal legislation that is awaiting the President’s signature:

H.R. privacy related 4709: Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act of 2006 (Passed Both Chambers)
Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent.
To amend title 18, United States Code, to strengthen protections for law enforcement officers and the public by providing criminal penalties for the fraudulent acquisition or unauthorized disclosure of phone records.

Review legislation that was enacted in the state legislatures in 2006 by topic: identity theft, breach of information, event data recorders, the use and recording of social security numbers and financial privacy. The California Office of Privacy Protection lists privacy related legislation that was enacted in California in 2006.

Federal legislation that we may face in 2007: H.R. 5304: Preventing Harassment through Outbound Number Enforcement Act

H.R. 5126: Truth in Caller ID Act of 2006

Senator Leahy, the incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has announced his intention to reintroduce S.B.1789: Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2005. Leahy referred to this legislation in remarks he made to the Georgetown University Law Center.

Senator Specter and I have worked on a good data privacy bill that was reported by the Committee two years ago but never taken up by the Senate. The proliferation of data brokers and the burgeoning market for collecting and selling personal information intrude on the privacy of all Americans.

View the video of Sen. Leahy’s speech, Ensuring Liberty and Security Through Checks and Balances: A Fresh Start for the Senate Judiciary Committee in the New 110th Congress.

An International Herald Tribune article is reporting that Asher Weizman, a private investigator employed by the Israel Football Association (IFA) is investigating a match-fixing scandal.

The IFA convened an emergency meeting Monday as two more Israeli soccer players were arrested in a widening soccer scandal. two players from the Hapoel Beersheba team — goalkeeper Assi Rachamim and central defender Oz Yifrach — were arrested Sunday on suspicions that they knew their teammates planned to throw games but didn’t report it. Three Hapoel Beersheba players were arrested last week on suspicions of match-fixing. All five remain in custody.

CBC News is reporting that Michael Robinson, a Saskatoon private investigator has pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a $20,000 fine for unlawfully accessing a police computer system at the Balcarres RCMP detachment.

It seems that this is not the first time Mr. Robinson or his investigative agancy has been the focus of Canadian officials. Four years ago, Robinson’s firm, Robinson Investigations, was at the centre of an extensive privacy investigation involving police and several government departments. Six government and Crown workers were suspended following the probe.

If you haven’t gotten your free credit report yet this year now is the moment.

December is a good time of the year to brush up on the resources available for researching charitable organizations.

Check the status of a charity within an individual state by going to either the Web site for the Attorney General or the Secretary of State.

Richard Thomas, the British Information Commissioner, has concluded in his report for Parliament that the means used by a private detective were probably illicit in more than 11,000 of the assignments.

This information was the result of a police raid named Operation Motorman, on a private detective’s home which showed that in three years the detective had been hired by 305 journalists to carry out 13,343 separate inquiries at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

One paper alone paid the detective £26,000 (about $50k). It also appears that the Commissioner will now expose the names of all the newspaper clients. More can be read on this topic by clicking here.