Internet

For many aspiring students, getting into a top-flight university such as MIT, Yale, or Princeton is a lifelong dream. Unfortunately, that dream never becomes a reality for many of those eager pupils. Grades, finances, or any number of other ... obstacles can get in the way. With the front door firmly shut, very few people ever think about going around to the back. Surprisingly, the good news is that a number of educational institutions already offer courses to pretty much anyone -- for free. So, what's the catch? Most of the classes can't be taken for credit and will not count toward a degree. ( ... (view more)

The best things in life are free; getting something for nothing is like music to my ears. And now, Microsoft has found a way to make that expression literal. The industry giant has teamed up with Control Room (the company behind last year's Live 8 ... benefit concerts) to bring free live musical shows to the MSN web portal. The deal spans multiple years and includes 36 exclusive concerts. The performances will air live on MSN's 42 global websites and then they'll be available on-demand for a limited period of time thereafter. So, how is Microsoft able to provide these shows free of charge? The ... (view more)

"The President of the United States is dead. He was murdered in the morning sunlight by a four-year-old boy ..." That's an intriguing excerpt from "7th Son," an online podcast novel written by J.C. Hutchins. The plot of the story from the author's ... official website goes on to read: "7th Son is the story of seven strangers who have been brought together after the recent assassination of the U.S. president. These men quickly discover they all appear to be the same man ... with identical childhood memories." (Source: jchutchins.net ) Interested in the story but not quite sure how the heck a ... (view more)

Have you always wanted to be a movie star without going through the hassles of taking acting classes, making a fool of yourself on some reality show, or lining up for endless auditions? You may now have your chance -- thanks to Daniel Myrick, the ... director of The Blair Witch Project. Myrick's next movie, The Objective, will be cast online through Abazab.com, a social site that enables its users to share their pictures and videos. The director checks Abazab every morning for new submissions. He says he'll make his final casting decisions in a few weeks. "We have a casting director on board but ... (view more)

"Lost," "Desperate Housewives," and "Grey's Anatomy" fans rejoice: these are a few of the programs that ABC will soon be offering free of charge via their website. (Source: news.com ) Disney-owned ABC ran a two month test run last spring to ... determine the viability of an Internet broadcast. Clearly, the results were positive. The company announced this past Thursday that beginning May 2007, select ABC shows will be available on ABC.com the day after they air. Viewers will be able to pause and rewind the episodes. They cannot, however, fast forward through commercials, which Disney says will ... (view more)

Marking the network's largest venture into online video, NBC announced last Tuesday that it will offer a free ad-supported video player to web site operators that will feature content from NBC and its partners. The service was created as a joint ... venture between NBC and its affiliates and will be known as the National Broadband Company (NBBC). NBBC will pull together videos from NBC, its local stations, and from other networks for delivery of the online service. The Horror Channel, Forbes, and CNET are some of the content providers that will be providing the service. The ad revenue generated ... (view more)

We've recently been covering the woes of America Online (AOL), once North America's dominant Internet service. It seems with the recent shift to broadband AOL has struggled to accompany its customers, leading to layoffs. Recently, the company ... announced new plans for downloadable movies, although the feature might not be the saving grace AOL is desperately seeking. The new movie program is the result of freshly-hatched deals between AOL and a number of film companies, including 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, Universal Pictures, and Sony Pictures. Under the agreement, ... (view more)

Who doesn't love watching movies? And of course, there's the thrill of the big theater experience: a giant screen, a large tub of popcorn, and the excited hustle and bustle of hundreds of other people. And then there's the relaxation and comfort of ... staying at home and cozily spreading out on your living room couch with a DVD, a bag of grapes, and a mug of beer. Whichever option you choose, there's something undeniably magical about sitting back with a good flick and getting swept up in another world. Whether you're a diehard film buff or just a casual moviegoer, the following websites are ... (view more)

It wasn't so long ago that we reported on the reluctant decision of America On Line to lay off some 5,000 of its workers . At that time, extremely slow dial-up sales had reduced AOL to losses in that sector, demanding that it change its outlook ... strategy and in doing so, restructure. The move cost thousands their jobs. Today, more bad news is leaking from AOL, as it appears three significant employees have been terminated after a recent scandal over released customer information. The most alarming termination surrounds Maureen Govern, AOL's Chief Technology Officer. Hired in September of last ... (view more)

As Internet Explorer 7 ushers in some surprising positive reviews for industry giant Microsoft, Mozilla has announced that its Firefox 2.0 browser will be delayed until at least mid-October. The re-scheduling of Firefox 2.0 means that Mozilla's new ... web crawler won't be ready this month, greatly disappointing a growing fan base. Mozilla: Growing in Popularity Once an underground cult favorite for its security features that, for the most part, improved on many Microsoft faults, Mozilla's Firefox browser is constantly growing in popularity. In total, most sources estimate that Firefox now ... (view more)