Internet

Up until this point, it's been fairly obvious what websites users should avoid. If you're looking at naked people, you're in trouble. Downloading illegal music files? Ditto. However, few scrutinize the user-populated video site YouTube, which has ... become one of the Internet's most entertaining hotspots since Google bought it last year for over a billion dollars. Unfortunately, it may not be safe, either. Although not the first time it's been reported, the video site is again spouting a malware threat. The Zlob Glob This time the culprit is Zlob, which is a particularly dangerous form of adware ... (view more)

Take a moment and thank heavens you live in a free, democratic country. In Canada and the United States, there are (almost) no restrictions on snapping photos and immediately posting them online for anyone to see. While some exceptions may apply, ... even videos of an intoxicated President Bush have made their way to YouTube without FBI or CIA interference. Unfortunately, this kind of freedom eludes the world's fastest-growing economy. Everyone remembers Tiananmen Square. The image of one, solitary man blocking a series of tanks from passing is unforgettable. For nearly two decades this scene ... (view more)

Maybe Michael Moore's next documentary should deconstruct the Bit Torrent phenomenon. The pair seem a match made in heaven, as Moore's recent film "Sicko", still largely unknown across America, has already made its way to various Torrent sites for ... download. Moore shot to fame with his scathing documentaries "Bowling for Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11", which criticized American gun laws and the Bush administration, respectively. Sicko tells the story of the United States' drug and health administration, ridiculing a system that can bankrupt someone for the average broken bone. As you might ... (view more)

At last week's shareholders meeting, Yahoo CEO Terry Semel got less-than-rave reviews. As a result, his resignation may turn shareholders frowns upside down. In his place, Semel leaves co-founder Jerry Yang to take over the executive duties. He also ... announced that Susan Decker, the company's former chief financial officer who recently became the head of Yahoo's advertising and publishing segment, will fill the role of president. (Source: mediaweek.com ) The announcement came in a memo issued to Yahoo's board of directors on June 18th. Semel wrote, "As you know, we have long talked about the ... (view more)

In an attempt to eliminate and prevent unauthorized distribution of copyrighted video content, Google confirmed Tuesday that it will begin testing video identification software on its YouTube and Google Video sites. The software will identify ... copyrighted videos that have been uploaded by users without the copyright holder's permission. (Source: informationweek.com ) Google will test the video recognition technology along with partners Time Warner Inc. and The Walt Disney Co. Testing will begin next month with hopes of having the technology completely up and running by later this year. (Source ... (view more)

Blockbuster is stepping up its game. The movie rental giant has decided to lower online rental prices in an attempt to battle competitor Netflix. Up until recently, Blockbuster only offered the Total Access plan, which allowed customers to utilize ... an online rental system in addition to in-store rentals for $17.99 per month. On Tuesday, the company announced that it would drop the price by a dollar for customers who do not use the in-store portion of the deal. (Source: betanews.com ) Netflix, which does not have any retail stores, offers a similar online-only plan for $17.99 per month. But ... (view more)

Although they once fought for more than a century during the Hundred Years' War, it seems sports copyrights have been enough to unite old foes against a common enemy. The Federation Francaise de Tennis and Ligue de Football Professionnel (France's ... tennis and soccer organizations) have joined England's Premier League in a lawsuit against YouTube. The lawsuit was filed last month in a US District Court. The Premier League is aiming to gain class-action status for the suit, which argues that it is YouTube's responsibility to use the necessary tools to prevent copyright-protected material from ... (view more)

Are you always too busy to complete certain chores? Is there a particular task that you've been neglecting to do for quite awhile? What if you could sell off all of those pesky chores...for the lowest asking price? Many service-based companies are ... now launching websites that hope to attract a wider and more diverse customer base. These websites allow users to simply describe the domestic duty that needs to be done and those who hope to provide the service leave their asking price attached to the description. (Source: technology.canoe.ca ) Think of it as the classified section of the local ... (view more)

The still-chic Facebook may have finally sold out. The online community, which seems to have eclipsed MySpace as the next big user managed environment, has taken a rather commercial turn. Facebook will now allow major Internet partners, 65 in total, ... to craft their own applications for the website, with programs ranging from news feeds to -- alas -- new and more exploitive advertising ventures. (Source: clickz.com ) For those who aren't yet familiar with it, Facebook allows those who join (for free) to upload photos, videos, and other personal notes to their very own "space". Not to be ... (view more)

If you're a Yahoo Photos user, you'll soon be moving your precious online family albums elsewhere. That's because Yahoo is officially shutting down its Photos portal in favor of its newer -- and far superior -- photo sharing website, Flickr.com. To ... Yahoo's credit, it won't simply force Flickr on its users. Instead, according to Flickr co-founder Stewart Butterfield, Yahoo will also direct folks to a variety of outside options. PhotoBucket, MySpace, Kodak Gallery, Shutterfly, and Snapfish are said to be among the choices Yahoo Photos members will be given. "Flickr will get top-billing, of ... (view more)