Its creator, 27-year-old Brendan O'Connor calls it "CreepyDOL" (because it is certainly creepy). You could also call it Personal PI, since anyone with a portable, very hide-able little device like this would hardly need to hire a private investigator. In fact, this spying device written up in the New York Times indicates not only that the private-eye business is on the wane, but also that we have … [Read more...] about State of privacy illustrated (by a tech-literate law student)
Highest social networking growth among Americans 65+
No one thinks social media is kid stuff anymore, right? If they do, they should check out this CNET article that says more than 72% of US adults now use social network sites, that figure up from 67% just five months before, CNET reports, citing just-released Pew Internet Project figures. And that's not just young adults. "One of the more striking stories about the social networking population," … [Read more...] about Highest social networking growth among Americans 65+
New MixBit app for video-sharing & remixing
The mobile video-sharing field just got a little more crowded. Of course there's Vine and Instagram's new video feature and Rounds more for video chat. But now there's MixBit from the creators of YouTube. It's "all about mixing and editing video," the New York Times reports. The app and the site (MixBit.com) are "aimed at making it easy to clip and stitch together snippets of video. Simple tools … [Read more...] about New MixBit app for video-sharing & remixing
UK’s teen suicide tragedy: Problems, solutions
The UK has seen too much social cruelty this past week, and now tragedy as well, with the suicide of 14-year-old Hannah Smith. Though there has been plenty of news coverage and analysis already – linking Hannah's suicide to cruel comments in social site Ask.fm – a formal inquiry into what happened has only just begun, the BBC reported. And suicide prevention experts on both sides of the Atlantic … [Read more...] about UK’s teen suicide tragedy: Problems, solutions
Twitter’s improvements to abuse reporting
Now that more than a quarter of US teens use Twitter, according to the Pew Internet Project, parents might want to know that Twitter has upgraded its abuse-reporting process. Apparently in response to a series of serious threats in Twitter aimed at women journalists in the UK, Twitter is "cracking down" on abusive behavior, USATODAY reports, with specific categories for reporting, including … [Read more...] about Twitter’s improvements to abuse reporting