Wii U, 'Halo 4' boost anticipation for E3

The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo kicks off Monday in Los Angeles Nintendo will demonstrate its forthcoming Wii U gaming system On the software front for the Xbox 360, "Halo 4" will be showcased in a four-hour event (CNN) -- For a preview of the next big thing in video gaming, look no further than the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the splashy industry showcase that kicks off Monday in Los Angeles. Will it be the oddly named Wii U, Nintendo's attempt to update its aging Wii console for a new wave of gamers? Or "Halo 4," the next chapter in the massively popular sci-fi action series? Or maybe a surprise device or game that comes out of nowhere to captivate attendees? This year's E3, as the annual trade show is better known, arrives during a time of upheaval for the multibillion-dollar gaming industry, which is scrambling to adapt to changing consumer habits. While home console gaming remains huge, more and more people are playing casual or social games on touchscreen phones and tablets. "I think we may be seeing the last generation of dedicated handheld gaming systems with the PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS," said Blair Herter, co-host G4TV's "X-Play." "What we've seen is the mobile gaming space really take over what used to be considered the h

Is Twitter slowing down?

Pew survey finds 8% of American Internet users go on Twitter daily Forbes writer says Twitter "might be in a bit of a lull" (CNN) -- With all the Facebook news lately -- the flat IPO, the regulatory interest, the Chan-Zuckerberg wedding -- it's highly possibly you've forgotten all about Twitter. If so, you'd be like most Americans. Only 8% of online Americans check their Twitter feeds on an average day, according to survey results released Thursday by the Pew Center for Internet & American Life. That's up from 2% in November 2010 and 5% in August, the group says, but it's nowhere near the numbers Pew tallies when it asks about online social networks in general. In February, the group asked Americans if they "use social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or Google Plus." Sixty-six percent said yes. var currExpandable="expand15"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj

Why Facebook threatens the human race

Our self esteem is determined by our updates, tweets and check-ins, Andrew Keen says Our digital addiction can only be broken by a regime of strict self-censorship, he argues Our obsession with posting data about our kids - is "destroying our children's privacy." Let's embrace technology which allows data to degenerate over time, Keen says Editor's note: Andrew Keen is a British-American entrepreneur and professional skeptic. He is the author of "The Cult of the Amateur," and "Digital Vertigo." This is the latest in a series of commentaries for CNN looking at how internet trends are influencing social culture. (CNN) -- The news last week was all about Facebook's dodgy IPO. Investors are filing suit against Facebook about withholding "negative" assessment on its business prospects. This IPO not only "Zucked up" Silicon Valley's supposed tech bubble, but it has created the suspicion that Facebook willfully exploited the innocence of the small investor. But something even dodgier than a potential stock market fraud is going on. The social network is taking something much more important than money from its nearly one billion members. By sabotaging what it really means to be human, Facebook is stealing the innocence of our

A 'bat signal' to defend the open Internet

Internet Defense League aims to mobilize Web activists The group says it is a "bat signal" for the Internet Web companies helped defeat anti-piracy legislation earlier this year A group called Fight for the Future is behind the campaign (CNN) -- Remember earlier this year when Wikipedia went black in protest of anti-piracy legislation moving through the U.S. Congress? Yeah, well, that may be nothing compared to this. A group called the Internet Defense League, borrowing a page from Batman, is trying to create a "bat signal" for mobilizing open-Internet activists against similar legislation. The group's tagline: "Make sure the Internet never loses. Ever." Technically, it's more of a "cat signal," since the group's website, which launched a couple weeks ago, featu

'SNN,' YouTube help amplify voices in Syria

Shaam News Network or SNN helps distribute amateur videos from Syria The information is increasingly important as it's difficult for journalists to report there A photo credited to SNN came to represent Friday's massacre in Houla 108 people died in the massacre, according to reports (CNN) -- You've heard of CNN, but unless you pay close attention to photo and video credits on news sites, you've probably never heard of the Syrian group SNN. The Shaam News Network is one of several groups that aggregates photos and videos taken by citizen journalists in Syria and tries to show them to the world. Most recently, the group came into the news on Friday after it played a role in distributing images from a U.N.-condemned massacre in the village of Houla, which left 108 people dead, including some children who reportedly were axed to death. YouTube, meanwhile, put a collection of 10 videos from Houla on its homepage on Saturday in an effort to raise awareness about the bloodshed there. Of all the content, one particular photo -- of a tile room lined with bodies wrapped in white cloth -- became the de facto symbol of the violence in Houla. It has been run by numerous news websites, including this one, with credit attributed to Shaam News. Photos: Images paint horrific scene in Houla var currExpandable="expand17"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CN

Ad-skipping DVR prompts fight for the future of TV

A new Dish Network tool would let viewers skip commercials The company rolled out the DVR tool, Ad Hop, earlier this month Fox, NBC and CBS have filed suit, saying it violates copyright Dish says viewers have always skipped commercials in some way (CNN) -- It turns out that consumers like the idea of watching TV shows with no other ads. And, surprise, the television networks are less than thrilled. On Friday, news was continuing to emerge about a flurry of lawsuits between Dish Network, which last week released a tool to let its DVR customers do exactly that, and

Ad-skipping DVR prompts fight for the future of TV

A new Dish Network tool would let viewers skip commercials The company rolled out the DVR tool, Ad Hop, earlier this month Fox, NBC and CBS have filed suit, saying it violates copyright Dish says viewers have always skipped commercials in some way (CNN) -- It turns out that consumers like the idea of watching TV shows with no other ads. And, surprise, the television networks are less than thrilled. On Friday, news was continuing to emerge about a flurry of lawsuits between Dish Network, which last week released a tool to let its DVR customers do exactly that, and