Internet

It might already be one of the most popular websites on the Internet, but that hasn't stopped YouTube from trying to improve its appeal with a major redesign. YouTube management calls the update a "fresh coat of digital paint," though not everyone ... agrees it's a turn for the better. YouTube says on its blog that the new design is intended to make using the site a lot easier, from finding and following channels to recommending videos to friends and linking YouTube content with Google+ and Facebook accounts. For example, videos uploaded to YouTube can now automatically be seen on those social ... (view more)

In recent years online bullying has been a hot topic, with many teens and children reporting online bullying. In some cases, severe bullying has even pushed kids to suicide, garnering much attention from mainstream media. A new study, however, ... reveals that online bullying isn't as frequent as many fear. In fact, the report says it's less likely that kids will be bullied online than in real life. The study was conducted by the Pew Internet ... (view more)

Facebook has been criticized many times before for failing to protect the personal information of its hundreds of millions of users. But now the site faces a new challenge: explaining to users why their "News Feed" has been taken over by advertising ... for adult-mannered websites. As of late last week, Facebook users' home pages were bombarded with inappropriate photographs depicting extreme violence and supposed celebrities 'in the buff'. While situations like this are relatively rare, the scale of the recent attack has led Facebook to re-evaluate the safeguards it has in place. Facebook: ... (view more)

Facebook is reportedly on the verge of agreeing to a settlement with the federal government over claims it misled users regarding its privacy policies. The settlement wouldn't involve a formal admission of guilt, but would have lengthy consequences ... for the social networking company. The case, brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), is based on allegations that Facebook does not always obtain a user's permission before changing the way it handles that user's personal data. Instead, Facebook simply applies the changes it wants on an opt-out basis, in effect asserting that it can apply ... (view more)

The complaint that Facebook prioritizes its own revenue targets above user security is hardly new. However, there is something fresh about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's recent attempt to distract users by pointing a finger at other tech companies ... -- most notably Microsoft, Google and Yahoo -- accusing them of being far less privacy conscious than Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg, the 27-year-old billionaire founder and CEO of Facebook, recently appeared on the Charlie Rose TV show to discuss his company's growth and, as usual, ongoing concerns with the way the site handles the personal information ... (view more)

The WikiLeaks website (infamously known for disbursing US State Department documents to the public back in 2010) has temporarily halted its work on publishing leaked confidential documents. Instead, the site will focus on a legal battle over money ... donated by supporters. Such resources are necessary in order to keep the site online. WikiLeaks Loses 95% of Web-Funds The site is said to have been operating on cash reserves for the past 10 months after major financial institutions began freezing money donated through their systems to WikiLeaks. It's estimated that the site has lost approximately ... (view more)

The group that operates the Internet's website address system will soon take over the running of a master clock used by millions of computers. Without the system, users would have to make manual adjustments when comparing time zones. The Time Zone ... Database doesn't simply keep track of the fact that different cities operate on different times (example: Los Angeles is eight hours behind London) -- it also tracks the more complicated matter of different countries adjusting to and from daylight savings times on different dates. The Time Zone Database can even tracks "leap seconds," ... (view more)

Although it's been available for quite a while now, the very popular Apple iPad has yet to receive its very own Facebook app designed specifically to take advantage of the tablet's unique technology. But that's about to change, Facebook recently ... revealed. To date, iPad users (and there are a lot of them) have been frustrated and annoyed with Facebook for failing to address their demand for a native Facebook app. For the year and a half since the original iPad launched, users have had to make due with applications built by third-party developers capable of showing Facebook pages. Unfortunately ... (view more)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has come up with an idea to help rural Americans gain access to broadband. It involves an overhaul of the system that currently guarantees telephone service to virtually all of the population. The current ... system, the Universal Service Fund (USF), relies on a 15 per cent levy on telecommunications services revenue. This money is then used to subsidize telephone line provision in areas where suppliers say it isn't commercially viable to install lines and still make a profit. The fund also covers the costs of making sure schools, healthcare facilities ... (view more)

Facebook changed its News Feed a few weeks ago (for what feels like the fiftieth time this year), and has once again drastically altered the user experience. While the company says it believes the new design will help users navigate status updates ... and photographs better, most members thus far appear unimpressed with the new changes. Facebook fanatics would have noticed the change to their favorite social networking site sometime around September 20th. It essentially does away with the dual News Feed, which had previously divided status updates, photo updates, recommended links, videos, etc. ... (view more)