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

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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

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'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

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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

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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

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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

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Facebook introduces 'Camera' photo app

Facebook launches a 'Camera' app on Thursday The app lets users edit, filter and share photos It is being compared to Instagram, which Facebook recently purchased Bloggers say the app was developed before that $1 billion deal (CNN) -- So much for Instagram? Facebook on Thursday launched a photo-sharing app called Facebook Camera, which aims to make it simpler for the social network's users to upload and browse photos on smartphones. The news comes only weeks after Facebook spent $1

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IBM worries Siri has loose lips

IBM bans Siri on its network, according to Technology Review The technology company worries Apple may store voice requests Messages are "sent to Apple in order to convert what you say into text" (WIRED) -- If you work for IBM, you can bring your iPhone to work, but forget about using the phone's voice-activated digital assistant. Siri isn't welcome on Big Blue's networks. The reason? Siri ships everything you say to her to a big data center in Maiden, North Carolina. And the story of what really happens to all of your Siri-launched searches, e-mail messages and inappropriate jokes is a bit of a black box. IBM CIO Jeanette Horan told MIT's Technology Review this week that her company has banned Siri outright because, according to the magazine, "The company worries that

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A look at Apple's new 'spaceship' campus

Apple is moving forward with "spaceship" campus in Cupertino Circular building would house 13,000 employees, be surrounded by greenspace The campus was one of last major projects for late CEO Steve Jobs Apple plans to begin moving into the campus in 2015 (CNN) -- It will cover 2.8 million square feet and have its own power plant inside its massive, gleaming circular design. It will be covered in solar panels and house up to 13,000 people on a daily basis -- not to mention 6,000 trees. It's been compared to a spaceship. And now, as Apple looks to make its innovative new headquarters a reali

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Chrome overtakes Internet Explorer -- maybe

Report: Google Chrome passes Internet Explorer in browser wars The stats may not be exact, but they do indicate a trend Chome's popularity has been rising as IE's wanes Google's browser is seen as being faster and more innovative (CNN) -- This might be the start of a new chapter in the browser wars. Over the weekend, Google Chrome routed more Internet traffic than Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which long has held its spot as the most-used Web browser in the world, according to data from StatCounter, an Internet monitor. Don't rush to over-interpret this bit of news, though. Other In

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Internet greets Facebook's IPO price

NEW: Facebook stock closed nearly where it opened Friday NEW: On rival Twitter, some smirked at lack of a price jump Online, almost every financial or tech expert has an opinion Facebook on Thursday afternoon set its initial share price at $38 (CNN) -- As the stock market opened Friday with a ring of the bell by Mark Zuckerberg, all eyes were on Facebook -- the social media Megalodon he nursed from a dorm-room project to one of Wall Street's hottest prospects ever. Facebook, or "FB" as it's now known to investors, may have made amateur analysts on the Web go wild. But on the Nasdaq, it was a less exciting ride -- ending the day at a price pretty much exactly where it began. Friends may be priceless. But 'friending' both started and ended the day at just over $38 a share. Facebook's was the biggest opening ever for a tech company and the third-largest IPO in U.S. history, behind only Visa and General Motors. On the Web, reactions ran the

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Internet greets Facebook's IPO price

NEW: Facebook stock closed nearly where it opened Friday NEW: On rival Twitter, some smirked at lack of a price jump Online, almost every financial or tech expert has an opinion Facebook on Thursday afternoon set its initial share price at $38 (CNN) -- As the stock market opened Friday with a ring of the bell by Mark Zuckerberg, all eyes were on Facebook -- the social media Megalodon he nursed from a dorm-room project to one of Wall Street's hottest prospects ever. Facebook, or "FB" as it's now known to investors, may have made amateur analysts on the Web go wild. But on the Nasdaq, it was a less exciting ride -- ending the day at a price pretty much exactly where it began. Friends may be priceless. But 'friending' both started and ended the day at just over $38 a share. Facebook's was the biggest opening ever for a tech company and the third-largest IPO in U.S. history, behind only Visa and General Motors. On the Web, reactions ran the

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Internet greets Facebook's IPO price

NEW: Facebook stock closed nearly where it opened Friday NEW: On rival Twitter, some smirked at lack of a price jump Online, almost every financial or tech expert has an opinion Facebook on Thursday afternoon set its initial share price at $38 (CNN) -- As the stock market opened Friday with a ring of the bell by Mark Zuckerberg, all eyes were on Facebook -- the social media Megalodon he nursed from a dorm-room project to one of Wall Street's hottest prospects ever. Facebook, or "FB" as it's now known to investors, may have made amateur analysts on the Web go wild. But on the Nasdaq, it was a less exciting ride -- ending the day at a price pretty much exactly where it began. Friends may be priceless. But 'friending' both started and ended the day at just over $38 a share. Facebook's was the biggest opening ever for a tech company and the third-largest IPO in U.S. history, behind only Visa and General Motors. On the Web, reactions ran the

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Why I'll (probably) never leave Facebook

Omar Gallaga: Facebook is where I get important glimpses into 1,365 "friends" Everything I post to Twitter or Google+ also ends up on Facebook, Gallaga says If something ever surpasses Facebook, it may be a mobile app, Gallaga says Editor's note: Omar L. Gallaga is a tech-culture reporter for the Austin American-Statesman and a technology contributor to CNN.com, NPR and Kirkus Reviews. (CNN) -- Flush with cash and drunk with power after its $100 billion IPO, Facebook could be caught secretly brainwashing millions of new users into signing up (mind-control hoodies, anyone?) -- and still I might not quit the world's largest social network. Ridiculous scenario aside, I'm pretty serious. Despite ongoing privacy concerns and rumblings of a backlash, it would take something drastic to make me leave Facebook at this point. More than just a daily habit, Facebook has become the place where I get important, often surprising glimpses into the lives of the 1,365 people with whom I've chosen to connect. (That's not counting friends-of-friends, for Facebook's tentacles are ever-extended). Why Facebook won't start trading at the opening bell I'm not always in love with Facebook, of course. I get frus

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How you help Facebook make billions

Facebook's multibillion-dollar business model relies on user data Experts say the social network's targeted advertising can be uniquely precise If you have a Facebook account, the company values you at $4.84 a year Facebook has to balance targeting ads, user experience, privacy concerns (CNN) -- Every post you "like." Every friend you add or fan page you join. Every place you check in, and every Web page you recommend. To you, those are ways to enjoy, expand and improve your experience on Facebook. To Facebook, they're the building blocks of a multibillion-dollar company. In business, there's a well-worn line that could apply to the social-networking behemoth: If you're not paying for it, you're not the customer. You're the product. In this case, you're a product worth, to Facebook, an average $4.84 a year. As Facebook hits Wall Street this week with a public stock offering that could value the company at more than $100 billion, investors appear dazzled by the company's uncanny ability to put the right advertisements in front of its roughly 900 million users. var currExpandable="expand16"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='business/2012/05/15/lake-10-reason-not-by-buy-facebook-ipo.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120515025904-facebook-your-mom-tshirt-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand16Store=mObj; Top 10 reasons not to buy Facebook var currExpandable="expand26"; if(typeof CNN.expanda

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Report: New MacBook Pro to feature retina display

The next 15-inch MacBook Pro will feature a retina display and an ultra-thin profile, 9to5Mac claims Report says it won't have room for an optical drive, just like its lightweight cousin MacBook Air (CNN) -- The new 15-inch MacBook Pro will be a significant departure from the current design, with a retina display and an ultra-thin profile, 9to5Mac claims, citing sources from Apple'

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iPad gives voice to kids with autism

Touchscreen iPads are giving voice to autistic children, adults Apps for it and other tablets aid those with trouble verbalizing their thoughts Education and therapy apps also help with other aspects Therapist: Apple's Steve Jobs gave a voice to the voiceless (CNN) -- Sharia stood immobile in front of the television, transfixed by its images, unaware of the world around her. Her family called her name over and over again, but she did not respond. It was that moment when they knew something was wrong. Initially, they thought it was a hearing problem. When they found nothing wrong, they decided to take 2-year-old Sharia to a specialist at an early detection center in 2009. "Within five minutes of looking at Sharia, (the specialist) said that she has autism," said Sharia's father, Fawad Siddiqui. "A very clear case of it." Siddiqui, 38, and his wife, Ayza Sheikh, were under the impression that Sharia was simply a late talker. Originally from Pakistan, the Siddiquis had no relatives to advise them on their first child. Speech, occupational and behavior therapies helped some. But Sharia still struggled with communication. var currExpandable="expand16"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/03/16/vincent-pkg-ipad-goes-on-sale.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120316083814-vincent-pkg-ipad-goes-on-sale-00000429-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'

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Could a computer have written this story?

Tech company created program that turns data into stories Narrative Science has earned a byline from Forbes.com Journalism experts say machines can't tell real stories (CNN) -- Computer applications can drive cars, fly planes, play chess and even make music. But can an app tell a story? Chicago-based company Narrative Science has set out to prove that computers can tell stories good enough for a fickle human audience. It has created a program that takes raw data and turns it into a story, a system that's worked well enough for the company to e

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Could a computer have written this story?

Tech company created program that turns data into stories Narrative Science has earned a byline from Forbes.com Journalism experts say machines can't tell real stories (CNN) -- Computer applications can drive cars, fly planes, play chess and even make music. But can an app tell a story? Chicago-based company Narrative Science has set out to prove that computers can tell stories good enough for a fickle human audience. It has created a program that takes raw data and turns it into a story, a system that's worked well enough for the company to e

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Could a computer have written this story?

Tech company created program that turns data into stories Narrative Science has earned a byline from Forbes.com Journalism experts say machines can't tell real stories (CNN) -- Computer applications can drive cars, fly planes, play chess and even make music. But can an app tell a story? Chicago-based company Narrative Science has set out to prove that computers can tell stories good enough for a fickle human audience. It has created a program that takes raw data and turns it into a story, a system that's worked well enough for the company to e

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Facebook announces 'app center', paid apps

Facebook rolls out App Center Center will rank apps on user feedback and other quality measures It will also introduce paid apps for Facebook Center will work on Android and Apple devices as well as the Web (CNN) -- Facebook users who haven't yet discovered the joys of FarmVille or plugged in to the sounds of Spotify will be getting an easier way to find apps that run on the site. On Thursday, the site unveiled Facebook App Center, a clearinghouse for social apps that sounds a lot like Apple's online store. And while most will likely remain free (with some making money through in-game purchases), Facebook will also now allow paid apps on the site. "For the over 900 million people that use Facebook, the App Center will become

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Zuckerberg's hoodie rankles Wall Street

Analyst says Zuckerberg showed "immaturity" by wearing hoodie to New York meetings The Facebook CEO has been courting Wall Street investors in casual wear The comments suggest a culture clash between Silicon Valley and Wall Street Blogger: If hoodies mean billions of dollars, keep wearing them (CNN) -- Facebook has raked in billions and will make a splash when its stock hits the open market next week. So, what are folks on Wall Street concerned about? Mark Zuckerberg's hoodie, apparently. Michael Pachter, an analyst for Wedbush Securities, told Bloomberg that the Facebook CEO's decision to show up for a meeting with potential investors dressed down in his trademark casual outerwear suggests that he's too immature to run a ma

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Google gets license for driverless car in Nevada

Nevada approves a license for "autonomous vehicles" that drive themselves Google will test out its self-driving technology in the state; other companies may follow The company says its cars have driven 200,000 miles solo without accidents Nevada's new red license plate feature an infinity symbol (CNN) -- If you want to salute, race or flirt with other drivers in Nevada, you could soo

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Bemoaning the rise of 'brogrammer' culture

At tech startups, some bemoan the rise of 'brogrammer' culture The term is a satirical one to describe computer pros with a fraternity party mind-set Critics say the emerging style shuts out women and others who don't fit in It can also have consequences, by alienating customers and potential hires (CNN) -- At one of the world's biggest gatherings of Web culture, a 28-year-old executive talks about landing a tech job by sending a CEO "bikini shots" from a "nudie calendar" he created. On campus at Stanford University, a hot startup attracts recruits with a poster asking if they want to 'bro down and crush some code.'" And the world's largest Internet registration company entices Web entrepreneurs with a Super Bowl ad in which two female celebrities paint its logo onto the body of an apparently naked model. Forget what you think you know about the benignly geeky computer programmer who lives for the thrill of finding a single misplaced semicolon in thousands of lines of code. And welcome to the world of the "brogrammer." As tech startup culture increasingly enters the mainstream consciousness through movies like "The Social Network" or headlines about the latest 20-something to cash in a dorm-room idea for

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'SeaNanners' and the art of gaming commentary

Adam Montoya, 27, earns a surprisingly good living posting his video-gaming commentary online Montoya plays a wide variety of games ranging from very competitive to humorous Montoya: "That's kind of what life's all about. Trying to constantly hit the high score" Xbox suggested the gamer tag SeaNanners after "Nanners", a slang for bananas, was taken (CNN) -- Adam Montoya is cool, collected and on a mission to annihilate his enemies. Armed with a small arsenal of guns, the 27-year-old races through a bombed-out Middle Eastern city, firing at adversaries who dart out of doorways and emerge around corners. As he eludes gunfire and switches nimbly between assault rifles and handguns, Montoya keeps up a running commentary. "Trader Joe's has the best frozen chicken," he says. "I got some chicken with some mushrooms, some baby tomatoes. I got some paprika, some cumin in there. I do believe we have some green onion, some olive oil ... some thyme in there, some nutmeg. It's pretty good." Welcome to the singular world of Montoya -- better known to the Internet as SeaNanners -- one of the few people in the world who can earn a living combining "Call of Duty" with chatter about what he's cooking for dinner. Montoya lives in West Los Angeles, California, and is a star in the exploding field of video-game commentary. Those who love video games and YouTube might argue he has the dream job. In short, game-play commentary involves recording yourself playing a video game and uploading the footage to the Web, along

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'SeaNanners' and the art of gaming commentary

Adam Montoya, 27, earns a surprisingly good living posting his video-gaming commentary online Montoya plays a wide variety of games ranging from very competitive to humorous Montoya: "That's kind of what life's all about. Trying to constantly hit the high score" Xbox suggested the gamer tag SeaNanners after "Nanners", a slang for bananas, was taken (CNN) -- Adam Montoya is cool, collected and on a mission to annihilate his enemies. Armed with a small arsenal of guns, the 27-year-old races through a bombed-out Middle Eastern city, firing at adversaries who dart out of doorways and emerge around corners. As he eludes gunfire and switches nimbly between assault rifles and handguns, Montoya keeps up a running commentary. "Trader Joe's has the best frozen chicken," he says. "I got some chicken with some mushrooms, some baby tomatoes. I got some paprika, some cumin in there. I do believe we have some green onion, some olive oil ... some thyme in there, some nutmeg. It's pretty good." Welcome to the singular world of Montoya -- better known to the Internet as SeaNanners -- one of the few people in the world who can earn a living combining "Call of Duty" with chatter about what he's cooking for dinner. Montoya lives in West Los Angeles, California, and is a star in the exploding field of video-game commentary. Those who love video games and YouTube might argue he has the dream job. In short, game-play commentary involves recording yourself playing a video game and uploading the footage to the Web, along

More about → 'SeaNanners' and the art of gaming commentary

'SeaNanners' and the art of gaming commentary

Adam Montoya, 27, earns a surprisingly good living posting his video-gaming commentary online Montoya plays a wide variety of games ranging from very competitive to humorous Montoya: "That's kind of what life's all about. Trying to constantly hit the high score" Xbox suggested the gamer tag SeaNanners after "Nanners", a slang for bananas, was taken (CNN) -- Adam Montoya is cool, collected and on a mission to annihilate his enemies. Armed with a small arsenal of guns, the 27-year-old races through a bombed-out Middle Eastern city, firing at adversaries who dart out of doorways and emerge around corners. As he eludes gunfire and switches nimbly between assault rifles and handguns, Montoya keeps up a running commentary. "Trader Joe's has the best frozen chicken," he says. "I got some chicken with some mushrooms, some baby tomatoes. I got some paprika, some cumin in there. I do believe we have some green onion, some olive oil ... some thyme in there, some nutmeg. It's pretty good." Welcome to the singular world of Montoya -- better known to the Internet as SeaNanners -- one of the few people in the world who can earn a living combining "Call of Duty" with chatter about what he's cooking for dinner. Montoya lives in West Los Angeles, California, and is a star in the exploding field of video-game commentary. Those who love video games and YouTube might argue he has the dream job. In short, game-play commentary involves recording yourself playing a video game and uploading the footage to the Web, along

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Microsoft to offer $99 Xbox-Kinect?

Report: Microsoft will offer $99 Kinect with $15 per month online service charge The move could position Xbox as the center of living room entertainment CNN has not confirmed the report, which comes from The Verge (Ars Technica) -- Buying a home video game console may soon become a lot more like buying a cell phone, according to a new report suggesting Microsoft is planning to offer a subsidized, $99 bundle including a 4GB Xbox 360 and Kinect sensor to anyone who commits to tw

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Blogger: 'I'm leaving the Internet'

Blogger Paul Miller from The Verge quits the Internet for a year Miller: "I've been on the Internet for the majority of the hours of my waking life" Miller says he will keep his job as a blogger but won't post his stories to the Web (CNN) -- Maybe it seems like the fastest way for a gadget-and-technology blogger to commit career suicide, but Paul Miller gave up the Internet at midnight Tuesday. Miller, who was and still is a senior editor at a tech news site called The Verge, plans to stay offline for a full year. When he needs to post something to the website that employs him, he will hand his editors a thumb drive with his stories saved in offline files. If he needs to look up a phone number, he'll get on the phone and start calling people -- who hopefully know people who know the person that he's trying to reach

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Facebook encouraging organ donations

NEW: Facebook says users in U.S. and U.K. can sign up Facebook is allowing users to ID themselves as potential organ donors Mark Zuckerberg says the move may "make a big difference over time" More than 114,000 people in the U.S. are awaiting organ donations, government says (CNN) -- On average, 18 people in the United States die each day waiting for an organ transplant. Billionaire Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg wants to change that. He announced Tuesday that the social networking site wants to "help solve the crisis" by allowing users to volunteer as potential organ donors in the United States and the United Kingdom. "We think that a lot of people who might just be on the fence about whether or not they want to do t

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How Microsoft's cash will bolster Nook e-readers

Microsoft's investment in the Nook expands options for Barnes & Noble e-books The Windows 8 operating system could benefit from the Nook's catalog Currently, Amazon dominates the e-reader and e-book marketplace Microsoft spent $300 million for 17.6% of B&N's e-book business (CNN) -- News that Microsoft has sunk $300 million into a venture with Barnes & Noble sends a clear signal that the computing giant and the bookseller aim to shake up the e-book market with new ammo in their fight against Amazon and Apple. But whatever impact the move has on sales of B&N's Nook e-readers now, it's the future of the

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