Internet

A coalition of Canadian singers and songwriters have demanded that the Copyright Board of Canada immediately start awarding royalties at the expense of popular online media destinations that continue to host content. The Society of Composers, ... Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) filed an interim tariff application after royalties were given to Access Copyright, an organization founded in 1988 by a group of authors and publishers for the purpose of "protecting the value of their intellectual property and ensuring fair compensation when their works are copied." SOCAN now ... (view more)

A new report has revealed that Netflix video streaming accounts for an incredible 22 per cent of all Internet traffic. This number is considerably higher than last fall, suggesting that the site's popularity and overall interest in Internet ... streaming has climbed significantly in the past six months. While the average Internet usage represented by Netflix users was around 22 per cent, researchers at analyst firm Sandvine found that during peak usage periods Netflix accounts for as much as 30 per cent of all Internet traffic. Sandvine says this is 10 per cent higher than was reported back in ... (view more)

A proposed new law under debate in the California senate would make drastic changes to the way social networks handle user privacy. It would mean sites like Facebook would have to maximize their privacy settings as a default. Under the proposals, ... social networking sites would have to allow users to set privacy levels at the time of registration, explaining the various options "in plain language." This would have to include a clear explanation of exactly which categories of people and businesses would be able to see information. (Source: ca.gov ) Full Control Over Information By default, a new ... (view more)

Should kids be allowed to use Facebook? Facebook Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg doesn't see anything wrong with it, despite concerns that they might be exploited through a social networking platform known for its controversial privacy ... policies. 7.5 Million Kids Under 13 Already Use Facebook Zuckerberg took on the issue at the recent NewSchools Summit, where a Consumer Reports finding that approximately 7.5 million kids under 13 had lied about their age in order to create Facebook accounts was at the center of much discussion. In a presentation, Zuckerberg revealed that he ... (view more)

A woman from Malaysia was recently cajoled out of $366,000 by a Facebook con artist, according to reports. And while several arrests have been made, most of the cash remains at large. Overseas 'British Citizen' in Need of Bank Account The man behind ... the scheme allegedly told the woman he was a British citizen in need of access to a bank account in order to cash in a $1.53 million contract with Malaysia's national oil and gas company, Petronas. Here was the kicker: the man in question said he couldn't afford the service and insurance charges associated with the agreement, and was looking for ... (view more)

The recently announced death of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was big news around the world. Across the United States, people poured into the streets to celebrate. One of the more memorable moments came in a game between the New York Mets and ... Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night, where fans greeted the news with an impromptu chant of "U-S-A!", "U-S-A!" But the most fervent activity might have been in the digital world, where Twitter members set a new record by Tweeting an average of over 3,000 times per second. (Source: tsn.ca ) Sustained Rate of Tweets a Record "[Sunday] night saw the ... (view more)

An old Canadian electoral law has now surfaced putting those who post voting results via social networking in trouble with police. Section 329 of the Elections Act in Canada states that anyone who transmits election results will be fined $25,000 ... dollars and could be sentenced to five years in jail. The problem is that social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, are technically considered transmitting mediums. Section 329 Not Completely Senseless As it stands, section 329 is still on the books, but the law might not be as senseless as it appears. A Canadian voter in Montreal, for example, ... (view more)

Two of the men who claim they (and not Mark Zuckerberg) created Facebook have failed in a bid to increase a previous settlement. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are stuck with the original court ruling awarding the men $20 million plus 1.25 million ... shares in the social networking firm. Twins Sue Zuckerberg for Facebook Rights As memorably depicted in the Oscar-nominated movie The Social Network, the twins sued after alleging that fellow Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg, who they had hired to create a similar networking website, had unfairly stolen the idea to set up his own enterprise. Although ... (view more)

Following a recent report that found the people with the most Facebook friends tend to be those with the most anxiety, pediatricians are now warning parents to keep tabs on their teens' use of social networking sites, and to be vigilant in searching ... out "Facebook depression". About a month ago Edinburgh Napier University released a study which suggests that many Facebook users associated a great deal of anxiety with using the site, from rejecting 'friend requests' to navigating stressful social circles. Researchers went as far as associating Facebook use to gambling in some situations. In the ... (view more)

The popularity of online poker sites has skyrocketed in recent years. But for some the experience may be tarnished upon hearing that a number of these sites are using "Poker Bots" -- automated software programs designed to play poker games by ... stacking the deck and lining the pockets of those that control them. Internet gambling is illegal in the United States, but online casinos operate offshore and continue to attract a number of new users on a daily basis. Likewise, Poker bots are not new to most gaming circles. The programs continue to be openly sold online the black market for hundreds of ... (view more)