Topic: Websites

Queen Victoria: 6 stories from her diaries

A new website features the entire text of Queen Victoria's diaries. Here are six excerpts.

Top 5 ways to save on your summer vacation

If you're pining for a summer vacation but worried about costs, consider how Wayne and Pat Dunlap of Del Mar, Calif., managed to tour 51 countries over two years, marvel at the Egyptian pyramids, scale a New Zealand glacier, and visit Laotian Buddhist monks all for less than $100 a day. "We often stayed at guesthouses and hostels, ate at local family restaurants, took public transportation, and in some cases, traveled on cruise ships offering reduced rates," says Mr. Dunlap, author of the travel book "Plan Your Escape." This year amid price worries and higher summer airfares, especially to Europe such ingenuity could prove essential. Here are five cost-cutting strategies that can help:

Octomom gets her home examined by social services after complaint

Octomom is back in the news: The California woman with 14 children was visited by social services after a complaint about squalor in her home.

Groupon woes continue with lawsuit, low earnings

Groupon's stock hit an all-time low last week, and the company has been hit with a lawsuit from shareholders for dishonest business practices.

Online gambling 101: What the new gambling expansion means for states

Online lotto – and virtual slot machines, blackjack, and poker – could be coming to your state or one near you. Here are five questions on internet gambling, following the US Justice Department's policy reversal late last year, possibly producing a boon to both the industry and state budgets.

Tyler Clementi and cyberbullying: how courts ruled in five other cases

The trial for the roommate of former Rutgers University Tyler Clementi will be watched by legal experts nationwide to see how the court addresses the growing issue of cyberbullying. Here is a list of court proceedings where cyberbullying or Internet privacy invasion was a key issue. 

Five shifts among college freshmen: For one, they're more studious

A survey of college freshmen reports an uptick in study time and a bit less partying. Here's a look at ways first-time freshmen depart from previous freshman classes.

10,000 Paterno memorial tickets go in 7 minutes

The tickets were distributed free through the athletic department website with a limit of two tickets per person.

Obama will participate in Google+ 'Hangout' after State of the Union

The chat will take place Monday afternoon, Jan. 30, capping a week of social media engagement the White House is planning around the State of the Union speech.

William Shatner 'dies' again. Bye-bye Priceline Negotiator.

William Shatner ends his 14-year run as Priceline pitch man in new ad, complete with fiery bus crash. The company is dropping William Shatner as it changes strategy. 

Five major SOPA supporters

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate counterpart, the Protect IP Act or PIPA, would allow the US government to seek a court order and even shut down websites that contain content or links “committing or facilitating online piracy.”  Moreover, advertisers and Internet service providers would be banned from doing business with violators.

However, payment and advertising networks, search engines or service providers that take voluntary action to redress detected violations – by terminating businesses with transgressor sites or comply with the law – will be granted immunity from liability charges.

On Sept. 22, 2011, more than 350 trade associations, professional and labor organizations, and businesses signed a letter urging Congress to enact legislation to stop “rogue sites” from copyright infringement.

Here are five key SOPA and PIPA supporters:

Would SOPA and PIPA bills 'break Internet?' Anti-piracy measure being revised.

On the verge of passage in Congress, the SOPA and PIPA bills targeting online piracy have been bounced back for revision in the face of a public outcry and high-profile Internet protests.

How five websites are protesting SOPA

Five major websites will go dark on Wednesday protesting two Congressional bills, which critics argue could curtail Internet and free speech.    

If passed, The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate counterpart, the Protect IP Act or PIPA, would allow the US government to seek a court order and even shut down websites that contain content or links to unauthorized copyrighted content.  Moreover, advertisers and Internet service providers would be banned from doing business with transgressors.

Proponents of the legislation include companies that are trying to protect their copyrights, such as the Motion Picture Association of America, The NBA, Pfizer, Nike, L'Oreal, as well as the US Chamber of Commerce, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the US Conference of Mayors.

However,  voices of opposition include Internet giants Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, Twitter, eBay, Mozilla, and Wikipedia – who say that the proposed laws constitute a First Amendment violation, promote censorship, and harm the democratic flow of information.  Check out how five major websites plan to protest SOPA and PIPA:

Wikipedia blackout: Site to protest SOPA

Wikipedia blackout is scheduled to occur Wednesday and last for 24 hours. A Wikipedia blackout would add heft to protests against the Stop Online Piracy Act.

Anti-US chants as slain Iran nuclear expert buried

The assassination of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan has raised calls in Iran for retaliation against the US and Israel, and an independent news website Friday said Iran is preparing a covert counteroffensive against the West.

Will Apple block the new Steve Jobs action figure?

A Chinese company is promoting a Steve Jobs action figure but past directives by Apple to shut down similar products suggests it is unlikely the Steve Jobs action figure will make it to US stores.

After Christmas sales: Your guide to snagging them, online or in person

After Christmas sales offer bargains both online and in-store. Here's a guide to finding them, as well as rules for using gift cards and making returns. 

Christmas toys: Five ways to make sure they're safe

How are parents ensured that their children's new toys are safe?  Here are five ways to stay informed.

FedEx delivery video: Package thrown. FedEx apologizes on YouTube.

Fed Ex delivery video, showing employee throwing a computer monitor, went viral on YouTube and caught the attention of local news stations. So FedEx went to YouTube to make amends. Did it work?

5 best websites for turning junk into cash

Houses have an almost magical ability to accumulate junk, and everyone seems to have stuff they don’t really want and won’t ever use. Instead of letting that box of unused electronics or your great aunt’s porcelain cat collection turn you into an unwilling hoarder, why not sell it off and make some extra cash? You can try doing it yourself (check out 13 Tips for a Super Yard Sale) or take your stuff to a local consignment shop (although you’re going to pay a large commission fee – at least 40 percent of the sale price, according to MSN). Like everything else these days, online is where’s happening. But if you want to earn top dollar, make sure you target the right market:

Holiday shopping online: How to avoid the '12 cyber scams of Christmas'

With more Americans turning to the Internet for more of their holiday shopping needs, good cybersecurity is vital to avoid a raft of scams – from promises of "free iPads" to "holidays screensavers" that install malware on your computer. Here are the "12 cyber scams of Christmas." 

Solar power: Google pulls the plug

Solar power was at heart of Google's alternative energy efforts. But CEO Page has dropped the solar power and other energy projects to refocus Google on the Internet.

Bankruptcy threat pushes Kodak to ditch patents, endangering websites

Bankruptcy could be avoided through a patent sell-off. But will Kodak's bankruptcy dodge further threaten photo-sharing websites?

5 financial steps to take before you buy a car

The 2012 car models will soon roll out to dealerships. If you’re looking to buy a car, you've undoubtedly done your research in advance about the right model and trim. The key to affording your dream ride works the same way: Get your financial situation under control before you step foot on the car lot. Here are five crucial steps to take that will help you save thousands of dollars when you buy a car:

No Harry Potter e-books until 2012, say Pottermore staff

Too much traffic to the Pottermore site means Harry Potter fans will have to wait for the series e-books.