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With a range between 3,000 to 5,000 tweets per second , it is no wonder that so many people found out about the capture (and subsequent demise) of Osama Bin Laden via Twitter earlier in the week. While the majority of people world-wide learned about ... the covert operation only after it was complete, a few thousand people were in fact following the sting in real time via a live Twitter feed hosted in Abbottabad. Man Blogs About Raid Without Knowing About It Sohaib Athar, the man behind the blog, now believes that one of his Twitter followers might have actually been a hacker looking to prey on ... (view more)

YouTube has unveiled a section of its site dedicated to live video broadcasts. It could be the first step towards a full set of TV-style channels with original programming. Although the Google-owned site has occasionally broadcast live video (such ... as interviews with politicians and concerts), this is the first time its has had a dedicated section on the site for live streaming. The plan is to allow YouTube users to stream their own content in the future. This will be rolled out gradually, with the intent being to allow the site programmers to work out the kinks, though it may also be so staff ... (view more)

It would seem at least somewhat logical to equate the number of one's Facebook friends with their overall happiness. The more Facebook friends, the more events one is invited to, the more pals to consult in times of stress. But a new study says ... that's not true, and indicates instead that the people with the most Facebook friends appear to be the least happy of all site members. The study comes to us from Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland. Researchers interviewed about 200 students to find out how Facebook use can be connected to one's overall mood. In their final report, these ... (view more)

An online "dating" site that was set up to expose the identities of more than 250,000 Facebook users has forced the social networking giant to seek legal action, despite no actual harm being done to the victims. The web site, called Lovely Faces, ... was created in an attempt to show how simple it is to misrepresent data and photos that are posted on public forums, all unbeknownst to those being profiled. Bot Scrapes Over 1 Million Facebook Profiles Despite being labeled an "awareness attack", site creators Paolo Cirio and Alessandro Ludovico are nevertheless guilty of utilizing an automated ... (view more)

A hacker recently made a post stating he'll give anyone willing to pay $499 behind-the-scenes access to confidential network files, including those of the US Army. The hacker posted a price list for access to a range of sites on an underground ... digital forum, along with offers for other illicit services. While there's no way to be certain the offer is legitimate, at least one security expert says he's seen evidence which suggests that offer is in fact genuine. (Source: krebsonsecurity.com ) US Military Intelligence Website Vulnerable Among the most high profile web sites said to be vulnerable ... (view more)

For years, hackers have turned the Internet into a never-ending game of " malware roulette," with virtually any web site running the risk of being compromised. In an effort to make the online community a safer place for everyone, Google has ... integrated a new self-identification feature into its search engine to inform users when a website poses a threat. Compromised Websites Weeded Out from Google Search Google created the feature with the average Internet user in mind. If the search engine detects that a website has been altered by a third party, it will display the following message: " ... (view more)

The owner of an online eyeglasses store has been charged with making electronic threats to disappointed customers. However, in doing so, Vitaly Borker believes the threats actually helped to boost the site's position in Google search rankings, and ... thus bring more traffic to his website. Borker, who operates decormyeyes.com, has been charged with four offenses: cyberstalking, making interstate threats, mail fraud and wire fraud. In at least one case, he is accused both of delivering a counterfeit pair of "designer" spectacles and vastly overcharging the customer. When the New York Times ... (view more)

Google plans to bar other companies from accessing information in its Gmail service, even with user permission. There's suspicion the scheme is designed to increase competition between Google and social media services such as Facebook. Facebook is ... actually one the best examples of how the change will apply in action. At the moment, when a new user signs up to the site, Facebook asks if they want to import their contacts list from their email account. If they do so, Facebook then cross-references this list, finds anyone who is already on Facebook, and asks if the user wants to add them as an ... (view more)

Facebook says it has discovered that some application ("app") developers have been deliberately selling user information for the intention of third-party marketing, and has responded by banning a list of developers from the site for six months. A ... similar breach was reported in a Facebook investigation last month . In that case, a technical error in the way developers used the information provided by Facebook meant they were revealing the user IDs of members who used the relevant applications, such as games. It's important to note this is simply Facebook's own reference number for ... (view more)

After a long-running battle in both courtrooms and the media, classified advertising site Craigslist has dropped its specialized services for adults, often seen as a front for licentious offerings. But it's unclear if it will be a permanent move ... and, if so, whether it will make any real difference. For several years, Craigslist had faced legal challenges over claims that many of those advertising in the section were, explicitly or otherwise, offering immoral acts in trade for money. The issue caught the attention of legal officials across the country, leading to a variety of court cases. ... (view more)