According to a recent report, 73 percent of Americans have already been the victim of a cyber-crime. With more and more shoppers looking online for their next holiday deal, cyber-criminals are hoping are to score big, but we’ve got some tips on how you can keep your online identity safe.

Chances are you’ve bought something online, and if you haven't, chances are you will this holiday season. Atlanta ranks sixth in a new survey of most internet shoppers. But along with the convenience, comes a need to protect yourself when you’re shopping on the web.

While you're cruising the internet looking for the hottest deals from online retailers, you can bet your bottom-dollar criminals are doing the same thing. But instead of looking for a deal, they're looking to steal.

“Criminals are opportunists. It’s a great time of the year, they know people will be shopping online,” said Ben Halpert, a certified information systems security professional.

Facebook's popularity rising among kids under 12

Facebook's age limitation isn't stopping US kids from naming the world's largest social network among one of their Most Beloved Brands this year.

According to an annual study by youth research firm Smarty Pants entitled Young Love, Facebook's brand-affinity ranking among kids ages six to 12 jumped 85 positions in the past year and is now a Top 100 brand among tweens nine to 12.

Facebook jumped from #181 to #126 this year among kids six to 12 and to #91 among tweens, making the social network's shift in ranking among the most significant increases of the 270-plus brands evaluated by more than 4,500 children.

Brands that facilitate a family connection seem to dominate the top spots on the Beloved Brands list, with Nintendo's Wii holding the number-one spot, followed closely by McDonald's, M&M'S, Disney Channel and Oreo. Apple's iPod Touch and iPad made 2010 debuts at #35 and #109, respectively.

Study Finds Teens' Late Night Media Use Comes at a Price

Staying up late to play video games, surf the Internet and send phone text messages may lead to learning problems, mood swings, anxiety and depression in children, a pilot study suggests.
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The research, conducted at the Sleep Disorders Center at JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.J., found that children who snuck time on their cell phones, computers and other electronic devices after supposedly going to sleep had a greater chance of sleep disorders that cause other difficulties.

"These activities are not sleep-promoting, like reading a novel or listening to music. They stimulate the brain and depress normal sleep cycles," said study author Dr. Peter G. Polos.

Call to boycott Barbie with built-in camera

MATTEL'S trademark vinyl doll is getting older but she has embraced technology - Barbie's new built-in camera abilities are worrying some privacy advocates and psychologists.

The Barbie Video Girl doll has been criticised for enabling children to film themselves and others using a hidden camera in Barbie's necklace.

The doll, which retails for about $110, also has a small colour LCD screen in her back and the capacity to record 30 minutes of video, which can be transferred to a computer.

A clinical psychologist, Sally-Anne McCormack, said the doll had the potential to be used unwisely online and called on parents to boycott the product. ''Essentially, it's a hidden camera,'' the mother of four said. ''Children don't look at video clips the way that adults do, and there might be inappropriate shots that they upload onto YouTube.''

An October 2010 study conducted by Nielsen entitled The Increasingly Connected Consumer: Connected Devices has found that tablets, while still regarded as a relatively nascent technology, are favored among early adopter consumers.

The study, the purpose of which was to gain a better idea of the consumers purchasing Apple iPads, Amazon Kindles and other similar gadgets and how they are using them, has found that smartphones still hold the largest penetration of the connected devices market, with a majority share of 25%.

In terms of sharing, 46% of tablet users allow others to use their devices, compared to only about one-third of smartphone and eReader users who do the same (34% smartphone users, 33% eReader users). This is partly because tablets are viewed as less personal devices than smartphones, eReaders and netbooks. Among these tablet devices, Apple iPad users are generally younger, with 63% of users found to be under the age of 35.

News and music are among the content most viewed on the Apple iPad and, not surprisingly, top paid app downloads for the iPad are games, with books and music apps coming in close behind.