Media - Internet

SOON AFTER man figured out that he could communicate to others through markings on the walls, duplication and distribution became a primary concern for the creator. As the means of communicating through drawing and words evolved from cave walls to scrolls and, later, books, writers realized that with the help of others, their stories could reach more people – and publishing was born. Then and now...

If, like me, you've been avoiding the "blog" phenomenon, don't despair. In this world of the 10-second attention span, you can fake your way through any conversation on blogs if you learn a few basics. Read on and you will find out everything you need to know about blogs short of actually writing or reading one on a regular basis. First of all, don't trust anyone who pretends they know all about...

Google has suggested it may consider setting up an online book store. Google CEO Eric Schmidt told reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that this would depend on permission from copyright holders. The web giant has been electronically scanning thousands of volumes and has put some online. But its plans to create an index to all the world's books have run into opposition from...

Security attacks over instant-messaging networks became more prevalent in 2005, according to a new study. Microsoft's MSN network experienced the largest number of IM security incidents in both 2004 and 2005, while year-on-year incident growth rates were largest on AOL's AIM network, according to the report, published Monday by IM security vendor FaceTime Communications. In 2005, MSN had a 57...

COMPANIES FROM GENERAL MOTORS TO Google have corporate blogs these days, but corporations that give bloggers license to completely speak their minds remain rarities. For that reason, when Microsoft's resident blogger Robert Scoble penned a scathing critique of his boss last week for pulling the plug on a controversial Chinese Web log, the blogosphere took notice. In a post last Tuesday, Scoble...

IN A MOVE THAT APPEARS to be aimed directly at Microsoft, Google co-founder Larry Page is expected to announce the release of Google Pack, a bundle of software that includes the Firefox open-source Web browser. The software pack, first reported Thursday by The Wall Street Journal, is also expected to include open-source instant messaging product Trillian, Norton AntiVirus, and RealPlayer, as well...

NEW YORK: Online users 55 years and older are spending more time on the Internet and less time with offline media sources, according to a report released Monday by BURST! Media. Offline media outlets are seeing more competition than ever from Internet sources for what is seen as their base demographic -- 55 years and older -- according to a survey of nearly 1,000 web users 55 years and older...

Google has confirmed it is investigating a Trojan horse that replaces its AdSense advertisements with fake ones hawking pornography and gambling sites, among others. The malware was first reported last week and discovered in the wild by Web publisher Raoul Bangera. The Trojan apparently installs itself on Windows systems via a website, and then creates fake ads which are positioned to cover up...

Given all the bad porn on the Internet, I guess it's only fair that there should be some truly terrible ideas about stopping porn on the Internet too. The latest comes from a group called CP80, which sadly isn't a phalanx of uptight androids who enjoy mysteriously homoerotic relationships with mailbox-shaped companions. Instead they're a group pushing something called the "Internet Channel...

NEW YORK: The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday launched an online page devoted to legal issues, as well as a law blog that the paper says will "provide timely news and analysis on events and trends important to the legal market." In a release, Dow Jones & Co. unveiled the new service at blogs.wsj.com/law/, which it says will include "original online-only content relevant to law firms, lawyers and...