Internet

Sprint's promotion of super-speed wireless Internet has taken an important step with the release of a plug-in modem that can work with WiMAX and the slower but more widespread 3G network. Xohm, the name for its service employing the small but ... growing WiMax wireless network, is also dubbed 4G (following on from the 3G network used by devices such as the iPhone) and aims to provide wireless data speeds comparable to fixed-line broadband. Like the 3G network, users don't have to be near a WiFi 'hotspot' (such as a cafe or airport): the data comes over the mobile phone network. At the moment, the ... (view more)

'Human-powered' search engine Mahalo is hoping capitalism can solve the spread of inaccurate information online. It's launching a new question-and-answer service where the questioner pays whoever gives the most helpful reply. Mahalo (Hawaiian for ... 'Thank you') is a search engine where all results are produced by humans (paid freelancers) rather than a computer index. While this clearly can't compete with Google's convenience and depth, the idea is to produce more credible and authoritative results for the most common topics. The new service is a take-off of sites such as Yahoo answers and Wiki ... (view more)

To most adults, the thought of sitting down with a pad of paper and penning a message to the North Pole is a bit childish. However, a number of social networking sites are now offering holiday-themed applications that allow "bigger kids" to record ... their hopes, dreams and desires this season. The application for Twitter is known as Tweetmas. For those still unfamiliar with Twitter, it is basically a free social networking online destination that allows users to send and read the updates of others. The site allows posts of up to 140 characters in length. Tweetmas was developed by London-based ... (view more)

The password management feature in your favorite web browser could be helping identity thieves steal your personal data, according to a survey recently conducted by Chapin Information Services (CIS). Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari and ... Chrome are vulnerable to a total of 20 vulnerabilities that could result in exposing your password-related information. Three problems are among those that, when combined, allow password thieves to steal your password without your knowledge: The destination where passwords are sent is not checked. The location where passwords are requested is not ... (view more)

Given that you're reading this right now, it's a fair bet that the web, or Internet access, is important to you. But, how important is it? In a recent survey, Harris Interactive found that women would rather give up "relations" for two weeks than ... access to the information superhighway. According to details on a survey recently released by chip manufacturer Intel (who commissioned the study), 46 per cent of women queried about the importance of the Internet versus "hanky-panky" replied that they would be more willing to engage in abstinence than lose their web access. By comparison, only 30 ... (view more)

YouTube is trying to make it harder for users to distribute 'adult' content. It's part of a plan to clean up the site to avoid scaring off would-be advertisers. The video-sharing site is already much cleaner than many rivals, barring clips with any ... nudity -- let alone sexually explicit content. However, from now on any content deemed too 'suggestive' will be restricted to viewing by those over 18. The formulas used to generate lists of 'most viewed' clips and those which most people have marked as favourites will be redesigned to minimise the likelihood of suggestive clips appearing on the ... (view more)

Several Internet Service Providers (ISPs), along with "NebuAd," the company responsible for a controversial marketing technology that delivers "more relevant ads" while you surf the Internet are facing a class action lawsuit. The suit was filed in ... the U.S. District Court in San Francisco and alleges violations of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, California's Invasion of Privacy Act and California's Computer Crime Law, as well as aiding and abetting, civil conspiracy and unjust enrichment. Earlier this year, NebuAd made the news when ... (view more)

After a year and a half atop one of the web's most powerful search companies, Jerry Yang has decided to step down as chief executive of Yahoo. The co-founder of the number two search engine has in the last year unsuccessfully attempted financial ... agreements with competitors Microsoft and Google, and the company remains in tatters heading into 2009. Yang, 40, won't completely abandon the company he helped found, however. Although he'll no longer assume the duties of chief executive, Yang plans on returning to his previous position as "chief Yahoo", or corporate strategist. Thus, he'll remain on ... (view more)

Think the Internet is all about freedom of speech? Not Facebook. After a number of complaints from mostly European sources, the popular social networking site has pulled and banned several Neo-Nazi groups. The European Parliament lodged the most ... significant complaint with the California-based Facebook. Martin Schulz, Socialist leader within the EP, told the media, "The existence of these groups is repulsive." Officially, Facebook removed the sites because they conflicted with its terms of use. Although the site "supports the free flow of information," representatives felt that the Neo-Nazi ... (view more)

The classifieds site Craigslist is changing its rules on advertisements by skin-trade workers following pressure from state governments. Escorts will still be able to advertise, but must provide details which could make prosecution easier where they ... break local laws in doing so. The crackdown follows complaints by Connecticut's attorney general Richard Blumenthal who contacted the site in March 2008, highlighting advertisements which gave specific details about certain services for offer and the rates the prostitutes charged. This was deemed illegal under the state's law and one woman was ... (view more)