Internet

The mayor of New York City has advised teachers to have no contact with pupils on social networking sites such as Facebook. It follows reports that at least three teachers have been fired or suspended over inappropriate comments made online. The ... three teachers, all based in the city, had been accused of posting comments on pupils' profile pages that were clearly unsuitable. Another teacher had reportedly offered extra credits to students that added him as a friend on Facebook: that teacher wasn't disciplined. Although nobody has attempted to defend the behavior of those posting inappropriate ... (view more)

A new study shows that Americans are less likely to engage in online social networking than many of their global counterparts. According to the findings, Asia is fast becoming the place where people are most likely to go online to share digital ... thoughts and photographs with friends and family. The research was performed by analyst firm TNS, which found that central and southeast Asia is a hotspot for social networking activity. In Thailand, approximately 92 per cent of Internet-connected residents have uploaded photographs to photo-sharing web sites. In nearby Malaysia, the number is 88 per ... (view more)

A former Facebook developer has donated $100,000 to help Proposition 19, a California-based initiative seeking to make marijuana legal in that state. 30-year-old Sean Parker was one of the original developers of Facebook when the social networking ... site emerged in 2004. Proposition 19 is part of California's Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act 2010; residents of the state will vote on the measure on November 2 when they head to the polls to decide on a new governor and congressman. They'll also get the chance to vote on the legalization of marijuana. (Source: telegraph.co.uk ) Parker No ... (view more)

YouTube will this week test live broadcasting for the first time. If successful, it could bring both new visitors to the site as well as several legal and technical challenges. At first the company will run a two-day trial featuring live broadcasts ... from four of the major companies that produce original videos for YouTube, such as Howcast. It will then analyze the data from the trials to find ways to refine and improve the technology before eventually making it available to all users. (Source: google.com) A New Frontier for YouTube YouTube has previously broadcast live events, but only through ... (view more)

After a long-running battle in both courtrooms and the media, classified advertising site Craigslist has dropped its specialized services for adults, often seen as a front for licentious offerings. But it's unclear if it will be a permanent move ... and, if so, whether it will make any real difference. For several years, Craigslist had faced legal challenges over claims that many of those advertising in the section were, explicitly or otherwise, offering immoral acts in trade for money. The issue caught the attention of legal officials across the country, leading to a variety of court cases. ... (view more)

Facebook is beefing up its security by offering a new remote logout feature that allows users to view the computers and other electronic devices connected to the social networking site with the option to disconnect any with a click. Devices can also ... be permanently disabled from accessing Facebook. Facebook's decision to introduce the feature is a reaction to recent security threats. Spammers have been using phishing tactics to convince Facebook users to enter their login and password information on fake web pages that look a lot like Facebook's entry screens. (Source: eweek.com ) Facebook ... (view more)

With hundreds of thousands of users looking to illicit torrent web sites to pirate their movie needs daily, hackers are also one step ahead by poisoning such files with viruses and Trojans. Simply put: not only is downloading copyrighted movies ... illegal, it's also dangerous for your PC. Fortunately for movie lovers, YouTube is now offering a new service that rewards visitors with free access to full-length feature films from major motion picture studios like MGM, Sony Pictures and Lionsgate. All of the YouTube movies are uninterrupted and feature a wide range of genres, including animation, ... (view more)

Wireless radio signals virtually surround us. In fact, we take for granted how easy it is to find Wi-Fi access, be it in our homes, offices, or coffee shops. But could these signals actually make us sick? Parents in an Ontario, Canada community ... actually think this might be the case. It used to be that parents worried about kids standing in front of the microwave too long -- or watching too much television, or using the cell phone. All of these things, some people feared, could lead to radiation poisoning and even cancer. Wi-Fi Behind Nausea, Parents Say But what about WiFi signals? Parents ... (view more)

The current address system for computers connected to the Internet (TCP/IP version 4) is entering its twilight. And while the process of introducing a successor is ready to go, critics suggest it is a complex and challenging undertaking. The ... addresses in question are not website addresses: those have many more unused possibilities, albeit many of them hardly memorable or corresponding to common words. Instead, the problem is with Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, which correspond to an individual machine connected to the Internet, whether that be a standard computer or a server hosting a ... (view more)

Internet classified ads site Craigslist is facing double trouble over claims that it aids illegal prostitution. The company has come under fire from former trafficking victims just days after losing a bid to be declared exempt from prosecution over ... the issue. The site has been under attack by state attorney generals for two years, most arguing for tighter restrictions over its explicit advertising. Though most advertisements for such services use coded phrases, officials believe the site violates bans on ads that directly solicit customers for this purpose. Craigslist management voluntarily ... (view more)