age

Scientists say they've found the world's oldest creature -- unfortunately, they've also killed the poor thing. The creature in question is an ocean quahog known as the 'Ming clam'. It was found in northern Wales about seven years ago and, at the ... time, it was believed the creature was roughly four hundred years old. That meant the Ming clam was the world's oldest creature, and soon found itself in the Guinness Book of World Records. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the previous record was set by another clam, though that one was discovered in Iceland. (Source: mirror.co.uk ) Fame Comes at a Price for ... (view more)

A Northern Ireland man is accusing Facebook of having a lackadaisical approach towards their age-identification system, even going so far as to sue the social network after his 12-year-old daughter began posting "explicit photos" of herself on ... multiple occasions. As it stands, the minimum age requirement for a new Facebook member is 13. The social network is currently designed for two age groups (13-17 year olds and 18+). Still, the company does not have a solid method of verifying (or even checking) a member's age. The lawsuit claims that Facebook is "guilty of negligence" and creates "a ... (view more)

Recently, well-known analysts The Nielson Company asked nearly 15,000 Americans which mobile operating system they were currently using. Although several leading platforms scored very well, Google's Android narrowly took first place. The Nielson ... Company polled 14,701 Americans, asking each participant (who was also a postpaid mobile subscriber) what mobile OS was running on their primary smartphones. The race was a close one: 29 per cent reported using an Android-based device, 27 per cent said they use an (Apple) iOS phone, and another 27 per cent said they own a RIM (Reasearch in Motion) ... (view more)

Think that video game-playing son of yours is nothing but a bum? Well, guess again. A recent study obliterates a number of common perceptions about gamers, including their age, level of education, employability, and income. According to both ... Canadian and American studies recently launched to investigate the subject, gamers are not the slobby, pizza-eating and pizza-faced basement dwellers we may have thought. Instead, U.S. researchers Ipsos MediaCT found that the average age of gamers is a stunning 40. Even more surprising, 55 per cent of all gamers are married, another 48 per cent have kids ... (view more)

As part of its Trustworthy Computing Initiative, based on building the concept of "End to End Trust" proposed by Microsoft in April at the RSA Security Conference, Microsoft reportedly wants to create "digital playgrounds", sites where visitors have ... to prove their age using digital identity credentials. Microsoft is hoping its measures will make the Internet safer for children and adults wanting to conduct business, make transactions, and communicate confidently with people who are who they say they are. Part of the challenge concerns how to add more identity authentication without ... (view more)

A member of Congress who campaigns for tighter controls on how children access the Internet says it should be illegal for schools and libraries to provide access to the online game Second Life. Described as a 'virtual world', Second Life allows ... players to create their own characters and interact with others in a surprisingly wide range of activities. Some comedians and singers have given performances 'inside' the game, while one computing firm held Second Life job interviews for a real-world post. But it's more adult activities such as (entirely fictional) drug dealing and prostitution which ... (view more)

One of the media's most prominent seniors, Larry King, of Larry King Live, recently informed the world on his show that he has never used the Internet. In an on-air interview with popular female comedian and (former) star Roseanne Barr, King told ... his guest and viewers that "I've never done it, never gone searching." For those who have criticized King for his cultural ignorance for years, it's only an affirmation of his age. But, is age the real factor? Studies show that senior usage of the Internet on the rise, making King look... not so good. It's Larry King's 49th year in broadcasting. It ... (view more)