internet

When people are shopping online, many rely on reviews written by previous buyers to help steer them in the right direction. But it seems some of those reviews may not be as honest as we think. In fact, some product manufacturers are actually paying shoppers to write them — albeit in a roundabout way.

On Tuesday, we told you about some of the sites — Wikipedia, Reddit and the Cheezburger network among them — that planned to go dark today in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), anti-piracy legislation under consideration by the US Congress. They weren’t the only stops on the internet to take a stand — here’s a roundup of some of the most prominent peaceful prot

Whether you need a fresh pair of pants stat or your garden could use a good weeding, the internet is making farming out your chores and odd jobs the best way to clear off your “to do” list.

In a study that anyone who works in an office will heartily embrace, researchers found that spending small parts of the day wasting time on the Internet makes workers more productive because it acts to mentally refresh them. “Browsing the Internet serves an important restorative function,” concludes the report from the National University of Singapore.