The end of an era: Internet Explorer drops below 50% of web usage
“A couple of interesting things happened in the world of Web browser usage during October. The more significant one is that Internet Explorer’s share of global browser usage dropped below 50 percent for the first time in more than a decade. Less significant, but also notable, is that Chrome for the first time overtook Firefox here at Ars [Technica], making it the technologist’s browser of choice.” Read more…
(source: Ars Technica)
(source: ow.ly via @GeorgeTakei)
Feds order YouTube to remove video for containing “government criticism”
“The number of takedown orders received by Google from authorities based in the United States rose dramatically over the past year, with demands to remove information, including videos containing “government criticism,” increasing by 70 per cent.” Read more…
(sourcr: Fact Over Fiction, via Current)
Comcast no longer choking file sharers’ connections, study says
“Comcast appears to be in compliance with a Federal Communications Commission decision demanding the ISP stop throttling BitTorrent traffic, according to a new study.” Read more…
(source: Wired)
BitTorrent throttling Internet providers exposed
“Data published by the Google-backed Measurement Lab gives a unique insight into the BitTorrent throttling practices of ISPs all over the world. It reveals that Comcast was slowing down nearly half of all BitTorrent traffic in the U.S. early 2008, but only 3% last year. In Canada, Rogers has the worst track record as it systematically throttles more than three-quarters of all BitTorrent traffic.” Read more…
(source: TorrentFreak)
1 in 5 women choose Facebook over sex
“When posed the question, ‘what would you rather live without for one full week: sex or Facebook…’, one might believe that it is a simple answer. Turns out that 1 in 5 woman might not agree with what you think the answer might be.” Read more…
(source: SocialHype, via BuzzFeed)
The economics of (killing) mass-BitTorrent lawsuits
“While mass settlement lawsuits filed against alleged BitTorrent users have the potential to bring in millions in revenue, recent rulings in US District courts are going to severely cut into potential profits. Has the tide turned? It looks like a distinct possibility.” Read more…
(source: TorrentFreak)
Analysis of e-mail signature styles
(via BuzzFeed)
Eureka! Ditching DRM decreases piracy
“A new paper to be published in the upcoming issue of Marketing Science shows that removing DRM from music leads to a decrease in piracy. Or phrased differently, DRM appears to be an incentive for people to pirate music instead of buying it. The researchers from Rice and Duke University used analytical modelling to come to this seemingly common sense conclusion.” Read more…
(source: TorrentFreak)
(source: @jimmyfallon, via Twitter)
10 big ways that technology affects your brain
“The Internet and digital technology has wholly revolutionized the way we do business, conduct research, find entertainment and even socialize. It’s a godsend for college students, and arguably an invaluable tool for everyone from freelancers to CEOs to stay-at-home parents. But with all of the information and media that we’re exposed to everyday, our minds are actually changing. There’s a scientific and neurological shift in the way we process information, read, communicate and interact with each other, and some of it is quite frightening. Here are 10 big ways that technology affects your brain.”
- It’s physically changing our brains
- Developing brains are especially at risk
- It can be addictive
- We’re less able to think abstractly, but can tune out external distractions
- Our neural pathways are affected
- It affects our ability to read
- Fragmented communication leads to jitters and addictive personalities
- Our brains function more primitively
- Our brains function more primitively
- We process visual information more quickly
(source: Online Degree Programs, via Current)
How to wage war in cyberspace with Iran
“Iran has already begun deployment of cyber forces in small teams throughout the world to avoid devastation if the networks internal to Iran are crippled. A myriad of intelligence agencies are gathering as much intelligence as possible for a possible war in cyberspace with Iran.” Read more…
(source: InfosecIsland, via Current)
Happy birthday, Pirate Bay! You've just turned 8 years old
“It’s one of the longest existences in the entire file-sharing space and bar none it has been the most eventful. We’re talking about the life of The Pirate Bay, the world’s most resilient BitTorrent site. [September 15th] the site celebrates its 8th birthday, a massive achievement which may not ever be bettered in terms of longevity, sheer volume of members and material distributed.” Read more…
(source: TorrentFreak)
