Social Networking Booming in Egypt, Russia, Survey Finds

"People in poorer countries send text messages more often than those in wealthier countries. Men in Spain and Germany access the Internet on their phones twice as much as women do. . ."

Online Holiday Sales Hit $31B, 15% Over Last Year So Far

"Shoppers have spent $30.9 billion online from Nov. 1 through Dec. 16, up from $26.9 billion at the same point last year, said the Reston, Va.-based company, which tracks Web use."

The Top 10 Tech Trends for 2012

"From the continuing rise of tablet devices to the daily-deals craze and the return of the Internet IPO, 2011 has been a transformative year for technology. . ."

eCheating: Students Find High-Tech Ways to Deceive Teachers

"Everything's going digital these days — including cheating. As students gain access to sophisticated gadgets both at school and at home, educators are on the lookout for new kinds of cheating."

Colleges' Latest Thrust in Learning: Video Games

"Around the country, pockets of faculty have been adding games to their courses as a way to stimulate learning."

Think Virtual Meetings are Hard? You're Right

"A communications coach explains how to make sure people get what you're trying to say, even if they're also checking their BlackBerrys."

AT&T Still Worst Carrier, Consumer Reports Says

"AT&T remains the worst carrier in the United States, according to an annual customer satisfaction survey compiled by Consumer Reports and released on Tuesday."

U.S. Power Grid Needs Cybersecurity Protection: Panel

"The threat of cyberattacks on the U.S. power grid should be dealt with by a single federal agency, not the welter of groups now charged with the electric system's security, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported on Monday."

Most People Go Online 'for No Particular Reason,' Survey Finds

"Americans are going online to pass the time more than they were just a few years ago, according to a new study."

Study: Cyber Monday was Biggest Online Shopping Day Ever in U.S.

"Monday was the highest-grossing online shopping day in U.S. history, with spending reaching $1.25 billion, according to market research firm comScore. That's up 22% from the previous record, which was last year's Cyber Monday."

New Version of Google Maps

"Google Maps 6.0 for Android launched Tuesday with a bold initiative: indoor mapping. Partnering at launch with a selection of businesses and public service structures, the new mobile Maps version allows users to see the entire layout of a mapped building, switch between floor plans if the structure has multiple levels, and locate indoor points of interest like retail stores, bathrooms and ATMs."