Internet

Candyce McNeill made a big move last summer. The bubbly 27-year-old left slow, sunny Georgia with her two young kids for fast-paced Philadelphia. She began a job search, but quickly hit a wall. She couldn't afford Internet at home, which meant that she couldn't easily apply for the many jobs that require online applications. She signed up for public assistance to make ends meet. "As a parent, it does hold me back," she said, referring to her lack of Internet access. "I have to be the provider.

DO YOU NEED cheap Internet access, an affordable laptop or computer classes? How about all of the above? Here's a road map for bridging the digital divide. Say you need to get online ASAP. For free. *  There are 79 free computer labs (a/k/a "Keyspots") in Philadelphia, where you can take computer classes or just go online. Get more information at 3-1-1, 215-851-1990, phillykeyspots.org or @Phillykeyspots on Twitter. *  The Free Library of Philadelphia offers Internet access at many branches.

The Center for Copyright Information was incorrectly identified in an editorial Tuesday on Internet pirating.

The new Copyright Alert System that went into effect last week is a weak response to the rampant Internet theft of music, films, games, and television programs. But it's better than doing nothing to combat the wrongheaded assertion that intellectual property should be free to anyone who can grab it. Artists deserve to be compensated for their efforts, and so should the companies that take risks to promote and distribute their work. Stealing songs and movies to pass among friends or to sell in a black market robs the originators of their incomes.

New Jersey stands poised to join Nevada and Delaware as the only states offering online wagering. Gov. Christie on Thursday vetoed a closely watched Internet gambling bill but gave assurances that he would sign it into law if his conditions were met. The governor clearly softened his position on the issue, stating in a 31-page conditional-veto letter to the bill's key sponsors that he was willing to support I-gaming legislation if the activity were...

In the cat-and-mouse game that pits Internet attackers against everyone else - from ordinary computer users to super-secure financial institutions and governments - the cat is lately looking a lot more ferocious. "Cyberwar" is no longer just a sci-fi concept. Just ask the Iranians who discovered in 2010 that their uranium-enrichment program had been at least partly disabled by the Stuxnet computer worm, or the malware researchers at Russia's Kaspersky Lab who last year added viruses known as Flame, Gauss, and Shamoon to the list of known cyberwar weapons.

LISTEN, KIDS: Back when I was comin' up, going vegetarian was a challenge. We had no Maoz or HipCityVeg - no Internet, even. By the end of the '90s when I went vegan, there was still no basic, easy way to find other vegans or local vegan food. A tough life! Nowadays, vegan info and connections are a flick of the wrist away. Do you realize how good we have it? First off, social networking is huge for vegheads, with Facebook providing constant access to veg-related events, petitions and food sites, and with Twitter generating an info-space where hundreds of other vegheads keep us up on the latest news, views and stews.

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Students at North Korea's premier university showed Google's executive chairman Tuesday how they look for information online: They Google it. But surfing the Internet that way is the privilege of very few in North Korea, whose authoritarian government imposes strict limits on access to the World Wide Web. Google's Eric Schmidt got a first look at North Korea's limited Internet use when an American delegation he and former...

"What now?" That's the question asked by many of us now that the holidays are over and we enter that sometimes drab "nothing ever happens" season - January and February, when there's nothing but slush outside and no sign of spring. But wait. Just because you may be homebound doesn't mean you can't indulge in some creative mind travel. If you can't go in person, try taking a virtual trip during these dog days of winter. The Internet is just the vehicle to take you there. It's fun and it's cheap.

New Jersey lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to a bill legalizing Internet gambling within the state's borders. The bill now goes to Gov. Christie, who vetoed a similar measure last year that would have made New Jersey the first state in the nation to legalize online betting. Nevada and Delaware have since passed online gambling bills, but have not set a date to begin taking bets. State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D., Union) said he hoped New Jersey could beat other states to the punch and start taking bets by the end of April.