A study commissioned by Truste paints a pretty optimistic picture about how teenagers are using privacy tools on Facebook and other social networking sites. The study, entitled "The Kids are Alright," (PDF) reports that "80 percent of parents and 78 percent of teens feel in control of their personal information on social networking sites" and that "84 percent of parents are confident their teen is responsible with personal information on a social networking site."

But the news isn't all good. The survey also found that more than two-third (68 percent) of teens have … Read more

Priority Inbox sorts Gmail

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded: Priority Inbox sorts Gmail MySpace gives into Facebook iTunes song previews double NASA signs up for Flickr 10-inch Android tablet arrives

MySpace hangs on with a thread

Links for Monday's episode of Loaded:

Netflix is going to launch in Canada in the fall MySpace acquires Threadbox, a messaging collaboration program Facebook updates Events pages Sony adds a karaoke feature to the new line of Walkman devices The Zune Pass launches in the U.K. The 2011 Subaru Outback will be a Wi-Fi hot spot

Buzz Out Loud 1271: Happy Bumper Day (podcast)

We'll do you a favor and give you the news in a nutshell: free bumpers (even non-Apple bumpers) and full refunds within 30 days of purchasing your phone if you're still not happy. There you go. Also, Droid X is sold out, the Facebook movie is going to be cool after all, if the new trailer is to be believed, and it turns out Palm was in fact the belle of the ball for a while there, but RIM and Nokia both blew it. Plus: Drunk HULC!

Cell phone annoyances

Research out of Cornell University proposes that cell phone conversations in public places annoy us because we can only hear one side of the conversation. Researchers call it halfalogue.

Apparently listening to halfalogue is frustrating because it takes up more of our mental CPU, so to speak. We can usually deduce what the conversation is about from halfalogue but the act of deduction is distracting.

But guess what? Eavesdropping in general is distracting, not to mention rude. I propose that we all invest in a good pair of noise-canceling earbuds and do what we were told to do in elementary … Read more

Best Facebook self-portrait ever--from space

If you've ever been on MySpace or Facebook, you'll recognize a phenomenon many refer to as "MySpace pics," or those portraits people take of themselves, usually in a mirror. As with any pictures, getting the right angle is key to making a flattering shot.

But the above photo that U.S. astronaut Garrett Reisman took this week during Shuttle Atlantis' final scheduled mission may be one of the greatest MySpace pics of all time.

He took it of himself from the base of the ISS' robotic arm while working with fellow crew member Piers Sellers to … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1230: The accumulation of little indignities (podcast)

The indignities start with problem in the New York studio that keep Molly from being visible on today's show, and then end with the realization that all those browser preferences are basically a trackable fingerprint that's further eroding any illusion of online privacy you might have ever had. Also, Google's getting into the phone business. Again.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video)… Read more

The Internet makes you happy

To counterbalance the stories we regularly see about how the Internet makes us antisocial misanthropists, here is one that shows just the opposite: the Internet brings happiness. Well duh! CNET readers already knew that!

All joking aside, there is something to be said about information and happiness. Ignorance is hardly bliss when ignorance means not having access to research, news, entertainment, and one another. The popular belief seems to be that modern advancements do not make us happy but perhaps that is too technologically deterministic.

In The Wealth of Networks, Yochai Benkler writes that "technological determinism is false.&… Read more

myspace

MySpace gets slap on wrist

How to embarrass someone with an iPad

Study: 'Kids are Alright' when it comes to privacy