Digg it, Like it, star it, favorite it, or bookmark it — that’s what many of us do when we see something we enjoy on the Web. But will that piece of content ever be viewed again? Probably not. Sadly, we rarely take advantage of our bookmark collection. It will eventually become a digital junk pile. So is it time for the bookmark to die? Perhaps it is time for the bookmark to evolve. As someone who views hundreds of articles, images, and videos on a daily basis — almost to the point of driving me towards insanity — the task of saving this content to take advantage of it at a later time has always overwhelmed…

Today, new developments in media and technology are almost always about making people’s lives easier and more fun. Social networks let us stay in touch with our friends and family quickly and easily. Advancements in video games let us immerse ourselves in increasingly compelling worlds. And smartphones let us access information we need almost anywhere. But changes in technology aren’t just about convenience or functionality. They often have an effect on how we relate to society and government. Many developments in how books were made (much more than just Gutenberg’s printing press) allowed…

Feelings are hurt and lives are ruined on a daily basis because criminals are taking advantage. They’re taking the very tools and technologies we have thought of as good, and using them to do great evil. Unfortunately, as the world’s reliance on technology grows, the dark side of technology grows along with it. In 2009 alone, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 336,655 complaint submissions, which was ultimately a 22.3% increase from the previous year and a 571% increase over the previous nine years when the IC3 was first created. Just as bad, the monetary damages are increasing…

In this day and age, it’s often all too easy to complain about the problems plaguing social networking sites, overpriced computers, and the lack of viable applications available amongst various smartphones. It’s important, however, to remember where we came from and acknowledge how far technology has come. Before you throw your keyboard at the wall after your next Firefox crash, take a deep breath and try to imagine a time before browsers even existed… a time before websites existed. Allow us to take you on a stroll down memory lane and put it all in perspective. 1. Computers Given the variety…

Imagine a city with stores that look like jail cells, dark alleys with no end in sight, graffiti written all over the walls, and thugs on every street corner. This city is the open web, containing Google, Yahoo, Craigslist, eBay, Paypal, and others. Now imagine a city with multi-million dollar mansions, paved streets with clean sidewalks, beautiful parks with freshly-cut grass, and happy people enjoying every second of life. This is Apple’s ecosystem, led by the iPhone, iPad, and iTunes. That’s a pretty drastic comparison, wouldn’t you say? Well, this is how Virginia Heffernan of The New York…

A survey of 4,000 UK shoppers has declared Apple’s iPhone to be a more important invention than flushing toilets or space travel. The smartphone has also been voted more important than the combustion engine and washing machine. The study, conducted for Tesco Mobile, puts the iPhone in eighth place on a 100 item list (below). The wheel was voted the most important invention in history, ahead of the plane, lightbulb, the world wide web and computers. Lance Batchelor, Chief Executive Officer of Tesco Mobile, said: “It’s amazing to see how much the iPhone is valued, sitting alongside inventions…

Attention US iPhone users — it looks like AT&T and Apple are at last making good on their long-held promise to offer tethering support through the iPhone, but not until the release of iPhone OS 4.0 later this summer. This illustration comes from inside the iPhone OS 4.0 beta that’s circulating at present, though the number given takes you to a recorded message saying “AT&T doesn’t offer tethering at this time”. Tethering — the process of using your iPhone as a 3G modem with your Mac — is really useful when traveling, or as a home back-up Internet connection for when your broadband goes…

Apple has a host of patents to its name, and rifling through them can offer some fascinating insights into the potential future of technology and the possibilities that are open to the company as it executes its vision for the future convergence culture. We’ve taken a look at some of the most recently published Apple patents and chosen six of the most exciting to tell you all about. 1. iSpecs: an advanced head-mounted display system for the iPhone or iPod This system (above) may even host its own video camera or be able to communicate with the camera that’s already inside the iPod touch or iPhone….

Cool UK gadget retailer, Firebox, has begun selling the SmartSwipe, a handy USB device which reads, encrypts and transmits your personal credit card data directly to the online payment page. Now, there’s a lot of insecurity about these days. We’re told hackers and crackers and spammers and other enemies of the people are all working hard to undermine our security and get their hands on our credit card details. SmartSwipe should help beat them at their game. Shoppers just need to swipe their card and click ‘confirm’ usung the onscreen purchase wizard. Your banking details are then encrypted,…

My entire life revolves around the internet. Between writing for Techi, interfacing with design clients, talking to friends, and gaming, there is almost not a moment of my life that doesn’t take place online. I have GOT to get me one of these. The Reconnect concept by Lars Rosengren is a genius little device. A diagnosed or suspected internet addict (read: you) can strap it onto his or her wrist, and the device helps monitor your social networking activities while periodically reminding you of your real-life priorities, and offering helpful suggestions. On the one hand, it’s sad that we as a people…