site

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)

Microsoft has voluntarily leaked more details about its upcoming Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) web browser via a Russian Internet portal. The company revealed several new features related to the browser's overall look, which is heavily inspired by a ... rival. To date, Microsoft has yet to reveal a user interface for Internet Explorer 9, even though several developer previews of the browser have emerged since the spring. This means the Russian leak gives us our first glimpse of IE9's navigational model. IE9 Navigation Similar to Google Chrome First impressions suggest Microsoft's next browser -- ... (view more)

Internet classified ads site Craigslist is facing double trouble over claims that it aids illegal prostitution. The company has come under fire from former trafficking victims just days after losing a bid to be declared exempt from prosecution over ... the issue. The site has been under attack by state attorney generals for two years, most arguing for tighter restrictions over its explicit advertising. Though most advertisements for such services use coded phrases, officials believe the site violates bans on ads that directly solicit customers for this purpose. Craigslist management voluntarily ... (view more)

Microsoft has decided to remove its "Bing cashback" feature after a lack of interest among retailers. The scheme allowed users to search for products and then get a rebate for buying from a selected seller. The scheme originally launched as part of ... Microsoft's Live search engine, before being rebranded when Live merged with MSN to produce the new Bing site. The launch of Bing arguably made the cashback tool more useful for both Microsoft and customers, as Bing is based around providing results in a variety of categories depending on the subject of a search. For example, people ... (view more)

A new site aims to demonstrate Facebook's lax security and privacy by exposing some of the more embarrassing messages which users have posted. However, Facebook users appear to have undermined the site by posting intentionally bogus messages. The ... new site is known as Openbook and is intended to highlight changes made last month which made the search facility on Facebook much more public, even to non-users. It's even possible for status updates and other user info to appear on public search engines. This was particularly problematic as there have been several changes to Facebook's privacy ... (view more)

Facebook users are generally trusting when it comes to their privacy, but some issues push them right over the edge. Take a recent glitch that allowed outsiders to view private user information, including friend names and the content of their chat ... conversations. The glitch emerged late last week, and has once again brought scrutiny and anger down upon the heads of Facebook brass. Users of the social networking site discovered that they were able to find out more about their friends than had been the case in the past, and some could even uncover chat conversations between other people. (Source ... (view more)