13 Best Firefox Add-ons of 2013

Every month, a committee of Firefox volunteers — who really, REALLY love Firefox Add-ons  — puts their time and effort into finding the best new add-ons. These add-ons are the little pieces of software that add functionality to your Firefox browser and help you customize Firefox to meet your needs and tastes. Can you see why these volunteers like them so much?

These were their top choices of each month in 2013, plus they picked one extra because, well, picking just one each month was hard!

1) URL Link: Have you ever had an email that had a broken url across several lines? Or seen a textual link on a Web page that isn’t a clickable link? URL Link solves your problem by letting you select a string of text that isn’t a URL and open it as if it were a real, working link.

2) Click and Clean: It’s like spring cleaning all the time, and on your browser! Delete your browsing history, temporary Internet files, download history and more. The CNET editors said “If you’re a Firefox user, and a fan of CCleaner, we highly recommend this free extension for easy access.” Not only do the professionals like it, the add-on also gets 5-star user reviews!

3) Clear Console: The developers of this add-on had a vision. “Our work demanded frequent deletion of browser history, cookies and cache and it was boring every time go to the preferences and clear them. So, we thought that an add-on would serve the purpose, not just for us, but for all those who need it.” Thanks to them, you can clear your history, HTML5 storage, cache, cookies and more with one click. (Be sure to thank them when you download it!)

 

4) Self-Destructing Cookies: This add-on isn’t just a cookie manager, it’s a new cookie policy. It lets you delete cookies from any site automatically when you close the window or tab. Would you prefer your cookie jar to be empty, except for a few sites that you care about? Are you worried about unconventional tracking methods? Then give this add-on a try.

5) New Tab Plus: When you open a new tab, you can enhance that experience with added features and plugins, such as speed dial, cloud addition and cloud backup. (Plus, it’s based on HTML5!)

6) Video Resumer: Usually, when you click through YouTube videos, they start from the beginning. No more! This add-on automatically resumes YouTube videos from where you played them last. Even if you restart your browser. Isn’t that better?

7) Reload Plus: This one’s for the power users of Firefox. Now, you can supercharge your reload button and hot keys with new tasks!

8) Stylish: Restyle your Web. This add-on lets you easily install themes and skins for Google, Facebook, YouTube, Orkut, and many other sites. You can even customize Firefox and other programs. Make the Web more beautiful for you.

9) Fastest Search: Search and ye shall find – faster than ever. For example, Search plain text, whole-word, regular expression, in page(s) for current tab, all tabs or filtered tabs. And that’s just the beginning. Get searching!

10) Google/Yandex Search Link Fix: This extension prevents Google Search from modifying result links when they are clicked. Google Search makes some people unhappy when they change the result link when you click it. If, instead, you try to copy the link you get some gibberish instead of the actual link. This extension disables this behavior — on any Google domain — without having to configure anything. Simply install and enjoy!

11) S3 Google Translator: Hola! Bom Dia! Want to add the power of Google Translate into your Firefox browser? This add-on supports translation of  selected text, an entered phrase or the whole Web page in more than 50 languages.

12) BluHell Firewall: There are lots of add-ons for blocking ads, but some have extra features that you may not want or need. You just want to have a light-weight alternative. That’s BluHell Firewall!

13) X-notifier: Know right away when “you’ve got mail!” X-notifier checks all of your Webmail accounts and notifies you about unread emails. It also supports some of your social channels, so you’re always on top of what your friends are saying.

These are just the top 13 of the year. There are thousands of add-ons to let you customize your Firefox. There’s also a Support page for you if you ever have questions about how to install or troubleshoot add-ons.

source here 

Google launches voice search app

Published on 7 Nov 2013 | Google Voice Search aims to understand the context of requests, allowing follow-up questions to be asked on the same topic. This means someone asking about the current weather in Birmingham, for example, could then ask: "How do I get there?" - without reminding the device which city they are referring to. Google claim the new voice search is faster than its nearest rival, Apple's Siri facility, and also provides users with more detailed answers.

Experts Say Leave Twitter IPO to Professionals

Published on 7 Nov 2013 | Google Voice Search aims to understand the context of requests, allowing follow-up questions to be asked on the same topic. This means someone asking about the current weather in Birmingham, for example, could then ask: "How do I get there?" - without reminding the device which city they are referring to. Google claim the new voice search is faster than its nearest rival, Apple's Siri facility, and also provides users with more detailed answers.

Gmails top nine hidden features.

Most tech-savvy email users have a Gmail account - but how many of them know its hidden features? Here's a list of the top nine tips. Most email users probably have a Gmail account, unless you're still using aol.com, in which case my first tip for you is to immediately set up a Gmail account.

But for everyone who already uses Gmail, there are a number of handy tips and features that you might not have come across yet. Here are the top nine.

1. Attachments

You know that feeling of sending an email and writing out "I have attached the document below"... and then realising you pressed send before attaching it? Well, with Gmail that feeling is a thing of the past.

It can recognise you have written 'attached' in the body of the text, and before you press send, a reminder message will pop up saying:

Did you mean to attach files? You wrote "I have attached" in your message, but there are no files attached. Send anyway?

All you have to do is press Cancel and you've avoided an embarrassing follow-up email ('Sorry, forgot to attach it. Here it is...'). Thank you Gmail.

2. Stars

Gmail has a star system so you can 'star' your most important emails and come back to them later. The standard star is a yellow one - but you can upgrade to add a selection of stars.

Go to the Gear box > Settings > Stars. You can now add in different coloured stars, for 1*, 2* and so on. If you make 2* red, then when you go back to your inbox and star a message it will still go yellow for 1*. But then, you can click for a second time and it will turn red!

Keep going so you can add in a selection of colours and then search your inbox for coloured stars later. If you want to search for 2* messages that are red, go to the search bar and type in:

has:red-star

This will bring up any emails with red stars on them.

3. Multiple email addresses

If you want to have multiple versions of your email address, you can just add in a full stop to your email address. Google will send the same emails to samjones@gmail.com to sam.jones@gmail.com.

If Sam wanted even more aliases, he could be s.amjones@gmail.com or any other variation.

Handy tip if you want to use multiple email alises to sign up to different web services or newsletters.

4. To-do lists

Why use Gmail just as a mail service when you can take it one step further and use it as a to-do list?!

All you have to do is click on Mail > Tasks and a small task bar will pop up at the bottom. Just fill in your to-do list and add in a due date if you want Gmail to remind you about it.

When you're done, tick the box in the corner to get a satisfactory line strike through your task.

5. Keyboard shortcuts
The most useful shortcuts are here below. Use regularly to save time. For a complete list just press ? whilst on your Gmail inbox and a box will pop up.

Ctrl + Enter means send message

Ctrl + . means advance to next window

Ctrl + Shift + c means add Cc recipients

Ctrl + Shift + b means add Bcc recipients

6. Advanced shortcuts

Gmail caters to the user's basic needs - but it also caters to the sort of user who wants personalised shortcuts. These can range from shortcuts to opening a new window to compose a message, to moving a conversation to the Bin.

To enable these extensive shortcuts, go to the Gear box in the top right corner > Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts > Keyboard shortcuts on > Save changes.

There you have it - your own list of shortcuts that looks something like this.

Top ones:

c - compose a new message

d - compose a message in a new tab

/ - puts a cursor in the search box

r - reply

# - move a conversation to Bin

7. Switching accounts

For those of you who are such big fans of Gmail that you have two accounts - fear not. You can access both on the same browser at the same time.

All you have to do is click on your email address in the top right corner, and select Add account. It will then take you to a separate tab where you can log into your other google account.

If you use Google Chrome it will remember this and save it as a permanent option for to swap to - but if you use any other browser you [may] have to add in the email address each time.

8. Faster loading

If you're loading Gmail on a slow Internet connection, it can take a few minutes. But - you can switch to a basic version of Gmail which will load faster and allow you to carry out basic actions.

To get there, just add ?ui=html to the standard Gmail URL. It should look like this:

https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=html

9. Backup your messages

You may want to backup your most important messages. The easiest way to do it is to sign up for a backup email account, and then you can set up your Gmail account so it forwards emails into the primary Inbox.

Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP.

Once you're there just select 'Forward a copy of incoming mail to' and fill in your email address. Done.

source

TIME Explains: The Deep Web

Published on 1 Nov 2013 | The FBI takedown of the online market Silk Road reveals the challenges of regulating the Deep Web. Here's what you need to know

Apple unveils new iPad Air

Published on 23 Oct 2013 Apple unveils new iPad Air : Apple unveils its latest thinner, faster tablet, the iPad Air, at an event in San Francisco, California. The company's senior vice president, Phil Schiller, describes it as 'the biggest step yet' in delivering their iPad vision. The company also released a new version of the iPad Mini.

Apple TV (3rd Generation) 1080p: Unboxing & Demo

Published on 15 Mar 2012 | Unboxing and review of the new 2012 Apple TV 3rd Generation.

Specs: A5 Single-Core CPU Video: HDMI 1080p

The digital currency revolution

Published on 18 Oct 2013 | Within just a few months, Berlin has become the capital of the digital currency Bitcoin. Invented in 2009 by an anonymous hacker, it has not only become an online hit, but in the trendy district of Kreuzberg, more than twenty businesses now accept payment with the currency. Thousands of online merchants are starting to use it, to the point where banks are considering it a force to be reckoned with.

What is Social Media?

Twitter is an excellent example of a social media website. (Image of Twitter)

What are Social Media Sites? | By Daniel Nations

Social media is a phrase being tossed around a lot these days, but it can sometimes be difficult to answer the question of what is social media. If MySpace is a social media site, and Mag.nolia is a social media site, and Wikipedia is a social media site, then just what is social media?

Is it social networking?

Is it social bookmarking?

Is it wiki?

What is Social Media?

The best way to define social media is to break it down. Media is an instrument on communication, like a newspaper or a radio, so social media would be a social instrument of communication.

In Web 2.0 terms, this would be a website that doesn't just give you information, but interacts with you while giving you that information. This interaction can be as simple as asking for your comments or letting you vote on an article, or it can be as complex as Flixster recommending movies to you based on the ratings of other people with similar interests.

Think of regular media as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter.

Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too.

30-Second Tech Trick: Search Twitter Back to 2006

Published on 25 Sep 2013

Everyday cybercrime -- and what you can do about it

Published on 16 Sep 2013 | James Lyne

How do you pick up a malicious online virus, the kind of malware that snoops on your data and taps your bank account? Often, it's through simple things you do each day without thinking twice. James Lyne reminds us that it's not only the NSA that's watching us, but ever-more-sophisticated cybercriminals, who exploit both weak code and trusting human nature.

Your secret Wi-Fi password is no secret to Google

September 13, 2013 | You know that home Wi-Fi network you have? The one with the super-complicated password you came up with to keep your neighbors from jacking your connection?

Chances are, Google knows that password.

If you've ever logged on to your network with an Android device, or even if it was just a friend logging on just once, chances are Google has your password stored in their servers. In fact, it's very possible that Google knows just about every Wi-Fi password in the world.

It's not a secret, exactly, as Michael Horowitz at Computer World points out in a recent blog post. The issue has been covered by several prominent blogs, but during the current privacy backlash against tech companies, the collection of millions of Wi-Fi passwords has mostly flown under the radar.

But it's a notable issue. As Horowitz points out, an estimate 748 million Android phones will be sold in 2013 (a figure that does not include tablets). And most of these devices are backing up Wi-Fi passwords as part of their default settings.

"Many (probably most) of these Android phones and tablets are phoning home to Google, backing up Wi-Fi passwords along with other assorted settings," he writes. "And, although they have never said so directly, it is obvious that Google can read the passwords."

This has been the default setting for Wi-Fi passwords since version 2.2 of the Android operation system. It's been presented as a positive feature for users, one that makes it easier to save data and configure a new phone. But for those who don't want the feature, it can be tricky to change. Depending on which version of the Android platform you have, you either have to go to "Backup my Data" or "Backup and Reset" to do the necessary configuration.

Source >>

The next big IPO : Twitter

Twitter well-placed to exploit the future

The news of the initial public offering of Twitter Inc. is unsurprisingly doing well on the micro-blogger's platform. It is the most hotly anticipated IPO since that of its predecessor as the hot social networking platform, Facebook, in May 2012. As it stands, the announcement appears to be a clever trial balloon. It enables the pioneering micro-blogging company to test the waters for valuations, without any obligation to actually undertake an IPO in a given timeframe. What Twitter did was to use the "jumpstart our business startups" or JOBS option to file an S-1 declaration to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The S-1 merely signifies an intention to make an IPO sometime. The financials declared may be kept confidential until 21 days before the first IPO road show. In fact, Twitter was under no obligation to even declare it had filed an S-1. All that's known for sure is that Goldman Sachs is the lead underwriter, and that annual revenues are under $1 billion, since that is the cut-off for S-1 eligibility. Market estimates are that revenues are about $500-600 million. Previous venture capital offerings suggest Twitter is valued at around $11-14 billion; but it reportedly refused a 100 per cent buyout offer for $14 billion earlier this year. Silicon Valley believes that Twitter's revenues more than doubled in the last year and revenues could treble again by 2015. Its CEO, Dick Costolo, claims that Twitter makes more from mobile micro-applications, than from web advertising. This is interesting since mobile is the growth platform of the future, and Twitter appears well-placed to exploit it.

Comparisons with Facebook are inevitable. Twitter has just 200 million accounts compared to Facebook's billion-plus. And Facebook's market value at $110 billion is also many multiples more than that of Twitter. However, Twitter users match Facebook users in terms of sheer volume. People tend to tweet far more often than they update Facebook. The social media search engine, Topsy, has indexed over 425 billion tweets since 2010. The service has evolved from the simple text messages it offered when launched back in 2007. Twitter delivers multimedia content, embedded links and micro-applications. It is the latter that are reportedly generating the major mobile revenue. The platform-agnostic nature of 140-character tweets is of major importance. It means Twitter is similar in looks and functionality on mobile and the big screen, and no more difficult to use than a short messaging service or SMS. Facebook, in contrast, has struggled to generate revenues on mobile, where it offers an attenuated experience compared to the big screen. As more people go mobile, it is difficult not to imagine that the future belongs to Twitter.

The immediacy of Twitter contact and the ability to reach total strangers are revolutionary. The hashtag (#) delineating content has proved so popular that other social media companies are trying to emulate it. Twitter also triggered new paradigms in terms of political, bureaucratic and corporate brand-building and feedback since it removed the layers insulating billionaire CEOs, political leaders and bureaucrats from the common man. It has also forced media to accelerate the delivery of breaking news. Everything from the raid that killed Osama bin Laden to the Boston bombings to Tahrir Square, sundry natural disasters and communal riots hits Twitter within minutes. Adoption is growing - fastest, it appears, in the 55-64 age group - the age-cohort with the most money. Monetising any web-based service has always been a headache. Twitter seems to have put together a working business model with its combination of advertising, direct marketing reach and its micro-applications. The IPO strategy, timing, pricing and structuring will presumably depend on the feedback it gets from the S-1 announcement. Well-handled, the IPO could be more successful than Facebook's, which has so far, struggled to justify its IPO valuations.

source >>>

A Security Expert Says Get A 2nd Offline Computer!

Published on 10 Aug 2013 | Most home computers have malware or spyware in them.

Twitter users stage protest in the UK

Published on 4 Aug 2013 : Users of the Social Networking site, Twitter, are staging their own protest in the UK against the online menace of trolling, when abusive and threatening messages are sent to other users. The call to boycott the social networking site for 24 hours follows a series of death threats and abusive messages sent to prominent women on Twitter. Twitter has apologised and attempted to tackle the problem by updating its rules and complaints proceedure, but the attacks have continued.

In the Conservative but permissive society - Cameron: 'One Click' Protection Against Porn

Internet Porn: David Cameron Plans Crackdown

Wanna try this, u may luv it? Meet Gmail's New Inbox

Published on 29 May 2013 : New customizable tabs put you back in control so that you can see what's new at a glance and decide which emails you want to read and when.

http://www.gmail.com/inbox

Copper wired internet connections of 1GB/s on the horizon

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is currently developing a new norm enabling 1GB/s internet connectivity through copper telephone wires over distances of up to 250m. 

Dubbed G.fast, the technology would bring fiber-optic level performance to pre-existing network infrastructures, reducing upgrade costs. The norm could go into effect as early as 2014.

For the time being, the ITU has announced that it will begin the examination and approval process for G.fast in early 2014. 

In theory, the new norm would provide a connection speed of 1GB/s over a distance of up to 250m through existing copper telephone wire networks.Customers would be able to install the upgrade to this norm on their own, without the need for exterior technical assistance. For internet service providers, this would also mean a quicker rollout.

If approved, G.fast will give access to ultra high-speed internet connectivity and its numerous applications: HD video streaming, large file transfers over the cloud, and high-def voice and video communication.

According to the ITU, several leading operators, integrated circuit manufacturers and systems providers are collaborating on the development of the G.fast norm. 

source -Relaxnews

Mozilla, Google Bring WebRTC Interoperability To Firefox And Chrome

By Zach Walton

WebRTC is the future of Web communication if the W3C has anything to say about it. It's an HTML5 technology that turns your browser into a video/audio communication tool. The only problem standing in its way was that it would only work if both users were on the same browser, but the folks at Mozilla and Google have found a way around it. 

Google and Mozilla jointly announced the RTCPeerConnection today that brings interoperability to WebRTC clients on both Firefox and Chrome. This will allow users of either browser to engage in video/audio chats by just using the power of the Web instead of relying on third-party plugins. 

RTCPeerConnection is currently available on the Chrome 25 beta and the latest build of Firefox Nightly. Once you download one of those, set the media.peerconnection.enabled to true in about:config and you'll be set. 

For the developers out there, Mozilla has a lengthy tutorial on how to bring RTCPeerConnection to your apps at its blog post. Check it out to get all the details.

source : web pro news

Bangladeshi Hackers Attacked Malaysian Website

KUALA LUMPUR- Several websites with the ‘.com.my’ and ‘.MY’ domains experienced technical issues when it was hacked this morning  by a group known as TiGER-M@TE.

Several major websites that were affected include Google, Dell, Microsoft, MSN Malaysia, Bing, and Kaspersky.

The frontpage of the website was changed with the following text, “Hello Malaysia, you think you are more advanced than us? Respect our workers, we will respect you! Running it since 2007.”

Last month, at least 41 government agencies’ website faced technical difficulties after it was hacked by an international group of hackes known as ‘Anonymous.’

In May, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s blog was allegedly hacked to give an impression that a ‘sex video’ purportedly involving her daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, was genuine.

In March, Google experienced a technical glitch after a search for “Sabah” showed a result in which the state was described as “illegitimate”. The incident happened during the Malaysia-Filipino standoff over Sabah’s sovereignty.

Meanwhile Google denied its website was hacked. - MD | source

Meet Gmail's New Inbox

Published on May 29, 2013 : New customizable tabs put you back in control so that you can see what's new at a glance and decide which emails you want to read and when.

Yahoo acquire Tumblr!

I’m delighted to announce that we’ve reached an agreement to acquire Tumblr! 

We promise not to screw it up.  Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going.  We will operate Tumblr independently.  David Karp will remain CEO.  The product roadmap, their team, their wit and irreverence will all remain the same as will their mission to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve.  Yahoo! will help Tumblr get even better, faster.

Tumblr has built an amazing place to follow the world’s creators. From art to architecture, fashion to food, Tumblr hosts 105 million different blogs.  With more than 300 million monthly unique visitors and 120,000 signups every day, Tumblr is one of thefastest-growing media networks in the world.  Tumblr sees 900 posts per second (!) and 24 billion minutes spent onsite each month.  On mobile, more than half of Tumblr’s users are using the mobile app, and those users do an average of 7 sessions per day.  Tumblr’s tremendous popularity and engagement among creators, curators and audiences of all ages brings a significant new community of users to the Yahoo! network.  The combination of Tumblr+Yahoo! could grow Yahoo!’s audience by 50% to more than a billion monthly visitors, and could grow traffic by approximately 20%.

In terms of working together, Tumblr can deploy Yahoo!’s personalization technology and search infrastructure to help its users discover creators, bloggers, and content they’ll love.  In turn, Tumblr brings 50 billion blog posts (and 75 million more arriving each day) to Yahoo!’s media network and search experiences.  The two companies will also work together to create advertising opportunities that are seamless and enhance user experience.

As I’ve said before, companies are all about people.  Getting to know the Tumblr team has been really amazing.  I’ve long held the view that in all things art and design, you can feel the spirit and demeanor of those who create them.  That’s why it was no surprise to me that David Karp is one of the nicest, most empathetic people I’ve ever met.  He’s also one of the most perceptive, capable entrepreneurs I’ve worked with.  His respect for Tumblr’s community of creators is awesome, and I’m absolutely delighted to have him and his entire team join Yahoo!.   

Both Tumblr and Yahoo! share a vision to make the Internet the ultimate creative canvas by focusing on users, design — and building experiences that delight and inspire the world every day.

— Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!

Gmail: 9 years and counting

Posted by Zohair Hyder, Software Engineer

Twitter sued for $50m after refusing to reveal anti-Semitic tweeter identities.

The Union of Jewish French Students (UEJF) has sued Twitter and is pursuing further court action after the social networking site declined to expose names of anti-Semitic tweet authors, despite a French court ruling commanding their identification.

The case began in October 2012, when #UnBonJuif (a good Jew) and # UnJuifMort (a dead Jew) became popular tags for posts on Twitter. Over 350,000 tweets were posted.

In January, the French Court decision decreed that Twitter was bound to hand over the names of the authors of the tweets. The UEJF demanded that it release the names so that police action could be taken against the authors for ‘hate speech’.

Twitter ignored the ruling, saying it was “currently reviewing the court’s decision” at the time of issue. It was given 15 days to either give up the names, or file an appeal. The ruling was exactly two months ago on Sunday.

It was said that Twitter would have to pay 1,000 euro (approximately US$1300) a day until it gave up the names. Given the time elapsed, it has left itself open to fines of around 44,000 euro (just over $57,000).

Action on this decision was still pending when UEJF filed the new $50 million lawsuit with a Paris correctional tribunal earlier this week. The lawsuit claims damages because of Twitter’s refusal to provide names.

North Korea - South & US responsible for Cyber attack?

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea on Friday blamed South Korea and the United States for cyberattacks that temporarily shut down websites this week at a time of elevated tensions over the North's nuclear ambitions. Experts, however, indicated it could take months to determine what happened and one analyst suggested hackers in China were a more likely culprit.

Internet access in Pyongyang was intermittent on Wednesday and Thursday, and Loxley Pacific Co., the broadband Internet provider for North Korea, said it was investigating an online attack that took down Pyongyang servers. A spokesman for the Bangkok-based company said Friday that it was not clear where the attack originated.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency blamed the shutdown on the United States and South Korea, accusing the allies of expanding an aggressive stance against Pyongyang into cyberspace with "intensive and persistent virus attacks."

South Korea denied the allegation and the U.S. military declined to comment.

Read more:  >>

Google now redirects Picasa Web Albums to Google+ Photos.

Google is once again trying hard to convince users of Picasa Web Albums to jump over to Google+ Photos.

The URL http://picasaweb.google.com no longer brings you to Picasa Web Albums but instead redirects you to Google+ Photos. As described by the Google Operating System Blog, which is unaffiliated with Google, you have to enter the URL https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos?noredirect=1 to sneak back into Picasa Web Albums.

You only need to enter that URL once, though. After you use it the first time, Google sets a cookie that turns off the redirection. So you can then go back to using http://picasaweb.google.com to access your Picasa photo album page.

Google has been touting Google+ as the "new home" for your photo albums. The search giant has already replaced Picasa Web with Google+ Photos in the navigation bar and has been redirecting individual photo albums to the Google+ interface, according to the Google Operating System Blog.

MORE HERE >>

YouTube Studios Aim To Increase Viewership

Published on 11 Mar 2013 : YouTube no longer shows mostly home videos of cute babies and pets. Recently, it opened high tech production studios in London, New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo. The aim is to improve the quality of what's on YouTube at a time when the Internet is becoming the main source of entertainment for the younger generation in many parts of the world.

4G technoloy & smart glasses:

FRANCE 24 Tech 24 - Mar 9, 2013 : Digital technology is now at the centre of many important world events, impacting everything from politics to economics to culture.

Half of Parents Join Facebook to Creep on Their Kids.

Elisha Hartwig

Are you friends with your parents on Facebook? You might be surprised to find out that one in two parents join Facebook just to keep tabs on their kids. In our increasingly digital world, it is difficult for parents to monitor their children's activities — so perusing social media is an obvious solution. 

To give you more heebie-jeebies, 43% of parents check out their kid's profile daily — with special interest given to status updates and photos you are tagged in. So you might want to think twice before you tag yourself at that frat party doing a perfect keg-stand. 

This data is courtesy of Education Database Online, a resource designed to help current and prospective students learn about the many educational opportunities and higher degree programs available within the United States.

 

more here >>

Facebook Just Declared War on Google: Meet Your New Search Engine

Today's big bad Facebook revelation is a search engine—not for the web, but for your life. And it's just another step in Facebook's attempt to conquer the entire Internet. Meet Graph Search.

Facebook's search has been convoluted and weak for years until now—it's hard to expect what you get when you type anything in, even if it's your best friend's name. People, pages, maybe places. Boring and often broken. But with today's search monster, Zuckerberg isn't just offering you a way to find your friends (or college frenemies). And it's beyond just some attempt at a Google replacement. It's an attempt to do what Google failed at doing—pulling all the information that matters to you within the context of your social life, skipping the results that are popular to The Internet, in favor of the results that are popular within a group you actually give a damn about. Not a horde of strangers. Everyone you know uses Facebook, and now those people are going to work for you when you search.

For example: searching for a sushi restaurant won't just bring up a well-linked list a la Google. Instead, your restaurant query will be answered with a little help from your friends, presenting you with suggestions based on where your relations have checked in. Or if you're looking for music, the recent selections of your pals will inform the results. For any occasion, the answer doesn't lie with some invisible algorithm pointed out toward the web void, but at the people you know, who are doing or have done the thing you're talking about. Your friends' experiences will give you answers to what you're wondering. At least that's the idea. And if it works, we'll have all the reason to skip opening a new tab headed to Google.com—an enormous victory for Facebook, and a profound change in how we all use the Internet every single day.

from Gizmodo : Sam Biddle -  read more >>