The world buzzed last week with news of the rapture. The 89-year-old leader of a Christian group known as Family Radio assured the world that the rapture would take place on the 21st of May 2011. The event, which turned out to be a non event, was to be the beginning of the worst disasters known to man before the end of the world on October 21st, 2011.The rapture didn't happen, or did it? Twitter users seem to have ...

Meego is still kicking. It was dumped by Nokia and Microsoft, but a dedicated team is keeping the faith, and coding away furiously. The dev team has just released MeeGo 1.2 and things are looking very promising for this Linux-based smartphone/tablet/netbook/thingum operating system.Early reports are very positive – while it’s still a bit rough, MeeGo is coming together as a contender in the netbook and media device environment, perhaps even for mobiles if a manufacturer or two picks it ...

Facebook and Microsoft on Friday unveiled an alliance to flush out child porn and those that share such images using the social network.Facebook will use PhotoDNA technology developed by Microsoft and Dartmouth College computer science professor Hany Farid to search for matches to pictures in a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) database."We think this is a game changer and we are thrilled to be a part of this partnership," Facebook assistant general counsel Chris Sonderby said in ...

HTC has released its first real contender in the tablet market, the HTC Flyer, which goes on sale in Tier 1 markets (US, Europe, etc). It’s a 7” device using what HTC calls a “magic pen” (also known as a stylus). It’s positioned as more than a messaging and Web browsing device, as the stylus lets you take notes, sketch and do more detailed manipulation.It’s heavy on the multimedia features, with HTC Watch for video streaming (including Hollywood blockbusters) ...

I recently wrote about the Oriella survey of journalists that found that most do not use social media or blogs for verifying and sourcing stories.It seems bizarre that journalists wouldn't use many of the tools and media channels that are available. Surely, they could apply their traditional journalism skills and add social media and other media channels, such as blogs, to their reporting arsenal?No one is asking journalists to throw away the tried and true ways of researching and verifying ...

As leaders gather in Paris for the G8 summit on Tuesday, the world's most powerful internet and media giants will join them in a show of strength amid international rows over online access, copyright and regulation.Top executives from online giants like Google, Facebook and Microsoft will tout the economic potential of the internet, which their host, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has put on the agenda of the G8 summit two days later.After Tuesday and Wednesday's "e-G8" bash, some of ...

India's poor populace could benefit from mobile banking, experts say. The hundreds of million with no access to financial services may put their faith in staggering pace that mobile phones usage is growing.Banking by phone could transform the workings of the rural economy, but the industry first needs to allay fears about transaction security and overcome low literacy levels and banks' limited reach in remote areas.Leading figures from the telecoms and banking sectors meeting in Mumbai last week said that ...

You should by now know as our friends at Family Radio ministry – an Oklahoma based Christian fundamentalist group – have informed us and gotten the web to buzz about, Saturday the 21st of May is the start of the end of days; The Rapture.For those not too versed in fundamentalist Christian thought, Family Radio's 89-year old leader Harold Camping "guarantees" and has taken to warning those from his native Oklahama -- where his ministry is based -- to ...

Instagram has captured the hearts of iPhone users around the world with its elegant design, filters that turn any photo into a potential work-of-art, and -- most importantly -- integrated social sharing that’s quick and easy.It’s enjoyed one of the most successfully launches ever for an iPhone app and is adding 130 000 users a week. The incredible thing is that it’s not even eight months old. Here’s what you should know about this hot new app.It was originally called ...

Whilst others cover up and hide, Playboy titillates and delights as it bares all online... for a nominal fee that is.The "entertainment and lifestyle" magazine has announced that it would be releasing its entire, voluminous, 57 year back-catalogue in a web-based service, i.Playboy.com.This online service, optimised for Apple's tablet, the iPad, is a subscription service and will include each issue with articles, features, ads and of course, the centrefold -- starting from its first iconic issue featuring Marilyn Monroe ...