Handheld Devices Should Be Banned for Children Under the Age of 12

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fixing the Internet?

Last week, the administration said the United States will begin negotiations to cede control of one of the Net’s most powerful institutions, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN. Currently overseen by the Department of Commerce, ICANN will be taken over by an international agency to be assembled later. The process is set to begin next week in Singapore, where the current ICANN members are scheduled to meet.

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Who controls the Internet?
a short history & the future? Published on 24 Mar 2014

The Internet began as a Pentagon-funded project called ARPANET, a network linking computers in some American universities and government agencies. Eventually, it was opened up to become the world wide web, connecting everything from computers and mobile phones to tablets and video game consoles.No one government fully controls the Internet, but the US does regulate some protocols. Faced with pressures, it is now considering relinquishing some of it to global stakeholders.Al Jazeera's Gerald Tan reports.

Facebook To Buy WhatsApp For $19 Billion

WhatsApp's Brian Acton and Jan Koum are billionaires
thanks to a $19 billion deal with Facebook.
(Photo: Robert Gallagher for Forbes)

Facebook announced on Wednesday afternoon that it had reached an agreement to buy popular mobile messaging startup WhatsApp for an upfront total of $16 billion, including $4 billion in cash and about $12 billion in Facebook shares.

Co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook’s Board of Directors, but WhatsApp will continue to operate independently within Facebook, much like Instagram. The purchase price could rise to as much as $19 billion once you factor in an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units that will be granted to WhatsApp’s founders and employees vesting over four years.

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Do Luv em! FF

Dear Firefox & You subscriber,

From the very beginning, Mozilla was built to be a movement, not a company.

We've always felt people should be in control of their online lives, not kept in the dark. We want the tools we build — like Firefox — to respect people, to care about their security and to protect their privacy.

That's why I chose to make Mozilla a non-profit. An open, accessible Web matters more than maximizing shareholder value.

The idea of putting people before profit is a powerful one. There are thousands of Mozilla volunteers and staff around the world who believe deeply in our mission and values. We are all building an Internet that puts the public good over profit. 

But we can't do this important work without the support of people like you. This is the only email we will send to you this year asking for a donation to support our work. Make your online gift to Mozilla right now.

Parts of the Internet will always be built by large companies. And that's good. That economic engine brings a lot of skill, energy and resources to bear, but it's not enough. 

We must also build the Web the world needs — an Internet where people come first. Whether it's profitable or not, it's the right thing to do.

What we've accomplished so far has been possible because tens of thousands around the world have joined and supported Mozilla. Just knowing that so many people share our vision and our commitment to users is both humbling and empowering. We would like to count you in.

I'm only sending one single email about the Mozilla Year-End Fundraising Campaign. That means you have just one chance to make a donation to support our important work.

The heart of Mozilla is a global community with a shared mission. That's what gives us power. That's what gives us impact. That's what makes us different — people like you who help us build the Internet the world needs.

Sincerely,

Mitchell

---

Mitchell Baker
Chair
Mozilla

Browser : Rockmelt has been acquired by Yahoo!

We’re excited to tell you that Rockmelt has been acquired by Yahoo!.

Yahoo! and Rockmelt share a common goal: To help people discover the best content from around the web. In our short four and a half years at Rockmelt, we’ve learned a lot about how you like to browse the web, discover content, and share the great stuff you’ve found. You’ve been right by our sides as we’ve celebrated successes, endured failures, and invented new ways of doing things. You’ve taught us a ton. And we plan to put everything we’ve learned to work at Yahoo!.

The truth is Rockmelt wouldn’t exist without you, our users. You showed us what it means to browse the web in today’s world. You made us go aww, lol, and hmm. And sometimes you confounded us, which gave us a good excuse to say wtf. Just by using Rockmelt, you made this opportunity possible. We can’t thank you enough for letting us into your daily lives and for believing in us. We will definitely keep you close to our thoughts, designs, and products in our new world.

For many of you, Rockmelt has become a daily habit and for that we’re eternally grateful… so we’ve kept all your valuables safe. In each of our products, you’ll find a tile to click on that initiates the export service. Your kept items will be exported as bookmarks and the feeds you follow as an OPML file. The Rockmelt apps and web product will be shutdown on August 31, 2013.

Our mission of exploring the web faster and in a fun way has not changed. We’re joining a fantastic team of people where we can have a much bigger impact, and we’re thrilled and honored to have the opportunity.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

– Eric, Tim, and the Rockmelt Team

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.

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