Digital Living

Internet in Iran severely disrupted as elections loom

MARCUS GEORGE - Reuters

Millions of Iranians have suffered serious disruption recently in accessing email and Internet social networking sites, raising concerns authorities are stepping up censorship of opposition supporters ahead of parliamentary elections next month.

Nasdaq website disrupted by online attacks

Reuters

Websites of exchange operators Nasdaq and BATS have been attacked over the last 24 hours, causing ongoing disruptions for those trying to use the sites, spokespersons for the companies said on Tuesday.

Bulgaria could suspend vote on ACTA

Bulgaria could soon join Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland in delaying its decision on whether to sign the international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

How to cut out time on emails

Robyn "the Time Queen" Pearce shares 10 points for saving email time.

Spoof Qantas Twitter account shut down

A satirical Twitter account masquerading as part of the Qantas PR team has been suspended at the airline's request.

Timberlake helps bring glory back to MySpace

Is Justin Timberlake really bringing MySpace back? The site claims it has added more than a million new users since launching its new MySpace Music Player in December.

Air NZ example for high-tech public service - Key

Prime Minister John Key is citing Air New Zealand check-in times as a model for the public service to follow.

Google algorithm measures funny

ASHER MOSES

Google comes up with an algorithm to measure "funny", but the results are a little perplexing.

Protests erupt across Europe against ACTA

ERIK KIRSCHBAUM AND IRINA IVANOVA - Reuters

Tens of thousands of protesters took part in rallies across Europe on Saturday against an international anti-piracy agreement they fear will curb their freedom.

Searching for alternatives

JOSHUA TOPOLSKY

Google's changes to privacy have irritated and worried some of its users. But are the search company's rivals really worth considering?

Facebook can alienate people further - study

People with low self-esteem should limit their woeful comments on Facebook, a study reports.

Brazil files injunction against Twitter

A request for an injunction to stop Twitter users from alerting drivers to police roadblocks could make Brazil the first country to take Twitter up on its plan to censor content at governments' requests.

New Facebook photo viewer mimics Google+

DANIEL IONESCU

Facebook tweaked its photo viewer interface, making it look a lot like its counterpart on Google+.

Go digital to get over an ex

Forget a makeover to heal your broken heart - try a "digital breakover" instead.

Popular app's CEO apologises over privacy bungle

Social-sharing app Path has come under fire for accessing and uploading users' phone address books without their permission. The information has now been deleted, and Path has apologised.

Managing a massive music library

There comes a time when your digital entertainment library just won't squeeze onto one computer, especially if it's brimming with video as well as music.

Microsoft acknowledges Xbox Live hijacks

Microsoft has denied there is any evidence of a security breach in the Xbox Live service but has acknowledged users are having their accounts hijacked by cyber criminals.

People not keen to pay for fast broadband extras

Internet providers may have trouble persuading consumers to pay extra for services over ultrafast broadband.

Facebook will release more user data

Facebook has promised to release more information about the data it collects from millions of users, an Austrian group lobbying for respect of privacy laws says.

Hundreds lose money after trader dies

GRUMPY CUSTOMER: Adam Robertson, 24, has been left $900 out of pocket after a company he bought a tablet computer from shut down following the death of the owner.

Hundreds out of pocket when an import firm continued trading after sole man at its reins died.

PlayStation Network merged with other services

Sony will merge its PlayStation online gaming service into its broader online platform.

Indonesia tweeters fly in the face of censorship

KATE LAMB - © Fairfax NZ News

After pulling the plug on more than a million online porn sites, Indonesia's Communications Minister, Tifatul Sembiring, has now set his sights on Twitter.

Microsoft may ditch start button in W8

NARED NEWMAN

Microsoft has reportedly made the gutsy decision to remove the Start button from its Windows 8 interface.

Hacker sought $50k for stolen source code

A hacker sought US$50,000 (NZ$59,882) from US anti-virus firm Symantec in return for the stolen blueprints to its flagship products under what the company says was a sting operation.

Facebook users get more than they give

BARBARA ORTUTAY - AP

The goody-two-shoes among us say it's better to give than to receive. That's not true for the average Facebook user, though.

Parental stalking online 'unwise'

MICHELLE GRIFFIN - © Fairfax NZ News

Parents should not stalk their children online, warns leading US cyber safety expert Dr Danah Boyd.

Deleted Facebook photos still lurking on internet

JOANN PAN

Pictures users have deleted from Facebook months or even years ago may still exist, it has been revealed.

Swedish government website attacked

A group linked to the hacker network Anonymous on Saturday said it had attacked the Swedish government's website, bringing it down for periods of time by overloading it with traffic.

Online Cupids often miss their mark

The huge amount of choice in online dating can lead people to make poor decisions.

Google, FB remove content on India's order

Google and Facebook have removed content from some Indian domain websites following a court directive warning them of a crackdown "like China" if they did not take steps to protect religious sensibilities.

Top torrent site BTjunkie shuts voluntarily

BTjunkie, one of the largest torrent file-sharing sites, shut down voluntarily over the weekend.

Anonymous publishes FBI call on hacking

Internet activist group Anonymous have published a recording of a confidential call between FBI agents and London detectives.

Hail the penguin

GEOFF PALMER - © Fairfax NZ News

You can get your computer operating system free too

No 'Facebook fatigue' for longtime users - survey

A survey shows people who have used the social networking site over a long period show no signs of tiring.

US shuts 16 sports piracy websites pre-Super Bowl

Reuters

Three days before Super Bowl XLVI, US prosecutors said they seized 16 websites that illegally streamed live sports and pay-per-view events over the Internet, and charged a Michigan man with running nine of those websites.

Raid on Sydney pirate pay TV outfit

BEN GRUBB - © Fairfax NZ News

Police have raided the Sydney arm of an alleged global piracy outfit which they say was selling unlicensed pay TV subscription packages offering over 1000 channels for A$50 a month.

Facebook execs gear up political influence

ALINA SELYUKH AND JASMIN MELVIN - Reuters

Money is pouring in to Facebook's newly created political fundraising arm.

Ukraine shuts down leading file-sharing site Ex.ua

Ukrainian authorities have shut down a popular file-sharing website saying it violates copyright laws.

Anonymous attack Brazil's largest state-run bank

A group calling itself Anonymous Brasil claims it took down the website of Brazil's largest state-run bank.

Microsoft slams Google user data policy

Microsoft has taken out full-page ads in several major American newspapers, slamming privacy policy changes at search rival Google that allow it to merge user data across its services.

Facebook files for monster listing

Facebook could raise well above US$5 billion when it debuts on the market later this year.

Nonprofit to help Megaupload users retrieve data

Megaupload users who feared their data could be deleted have been given a reprieve.

Google defends change to privacy policies

Planned changes to Google's privacy policies that have caught the attention of US lawmakers would not take away the control its customers have over how data is collected and used.

Twitter CEO says blocking policy over-distilled

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo tries to calm the global outrage over the company's new country-by-country censorship policy, complaining too many have rushed to judgement.

Technologist predicts cleaner internet

The internet could be on the verge of a revolution as internet providers use new technology to filter out pirated material, child pornography and malware, a Australian technologist says.

Online game theft earns real-world conviction

The amulet and mask were a 13-year-old boy's virtual possessions in an online fantasy game. In the real world, he was beaten and threatened with a knife to give them up.