online

The percentage of Internet users who say they're worried about how much of their personal data is made available to third parties -- often without their permission -- is on the rise. It's also been revealed that the vast majority of Internet users ... have taken some action towards removing their personal information from the web. The figures come from the Pew Internet ... (view more)

It appears unlikely that Internet regulators will allow US-based online retailer Amazon to register and control the domain suffix '.amazon'. The ruling does not affect website names, such as www.amazon.com . Instead, it's related to the new ... top-level domain system, which covers the last part of an address (otherwise known as a domain suffix). Previously, this had been limited to a few terms -- such as '.com' and '.org' -- plus individual country codes, such as '.ca' for Canada. Under the new system, run by Internet regulators ICANN, organizations can apply to register virtually any term, ... (view more)

The percentage of people willing to pay for online news appears to be on the rise. However, an international study suggests the vast majority of people are still unwilling to pay for the news they find on the Internet. Reuters has published a study ... based on research in nine countries. The study examines the way people consume news on the Internet, both via laptop and desktop computers and through portable devices, like smartphones. (Source: digitalnewsreport.org ) Researchers found the percentage of people who had paid for an online news service, such as a digital newspaper subscription, ... (view more)

A new report finds that phishers are increasingly targeting online gamers. The report, which was released this past week by the Anti Phishing Work Group, says that phishing attacks targeting gamers increased from 2.7 per cent in September 2012 to ... 14.7 per cent in December. Phishing involves luring targets into giving up important personal information, such as a name, address, password, and credit card number. Usually phishers use fake web forms accessed via bogus emails to get people to give up this critical data. Virtual Items Exchanged for Real-World Cash So, why target video gamers? ... (view more)

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has had his credit information exposed by hackers. It's only the latest in a string of similar attacks launched against celebrities in recent weeks. According to reports, Gates' personal financial information was ... acquired by hackers and then shared online. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is currently trying to figure out how the data was accessed and who was responsible for the attack. Somewhat ironically, the attack occurred on the same day that Bill Gates discussed pressing cyber security threats with the Washington Post newspaper. Security Answers Found ... (view more)

The President of the United States has the right to authorize an online attack on another nation if he has credible evidence to suggest that country plans to attack the US. That's the conclusion of a secret review of rules governing the US ... military's online behavior. Officials are said to be planning the first comprehensive set of guidelines for the military's online activities, though the rules themselves will be classified. The review was prompted by concerns over the current division between the military and intelligence services. For example, the armed forces are only allowed to launch ... (view more)

"Hi Infopackets, I recently bought Windows 8 and naturally want to learn more about the new applications that come with it. In particular, I'm a huge fan of social media and would love to find out more about the new People app. Who better to explain ... it all than you, who have been helping me understand the computer world for half a dozen years. Thanks! Mary B." My response: Great question, because Windows 8's new People app is one of the more exciting features included in Microsoft's newest operating system. People App: A Central Hub for Social Media Basically, the new People app is a social ... (view more)

Note from Dennis: further down this article you'll find a quick-and-dirty list of items of the best Black Friday deals I've found online. The list is conveniently presented in ascending order according to discount markup. Proceeds help to support ... our website, staff and writers. Your support is greatly needed and appreciated! You can go straight to the discount list by clicking here , or continue reading below. Happy Thanksgiving! -- Thanksgiving is officially upon us, which means there's going to be a ton of great deals being offered online as a result of the Holiday season -- deals like ... (view more)