Snippets 9th March

Google bosses convicted in Italy An Italian court has convicted three Google executives in a trial over a video showing an autistic teenager being bullied. The executives were accused of breaking Italian law by allowing the video to be posted online. Three Google employees received suspended six-month sentences, while a fourth defendant was acquitted.  The guilty verdict has left Google outraged and much of the net community concerned about the ramifications.  If firms can be held liable for every piece of content on their site they would face a nigh-on impossible job of policing and vetting everything before publication. http://news.bbc.co.uk   BBC iPlayer usage doubles in a year The number of requests to view shows on the BBC’s iPlayer has doubled in the past year, as the service breaks new viewing records.  More than 120 million videos were viewed using the service last month, up from 61.5 million in the same month last year. http://www.pcpro.co.uk   One driver in 20 'uses Facebook at the wheel' Three years on from the introduction of tougher in-car mobile phone rules in the UK, many motorists are still flouting the law. Drivers are illegally using hands-held mobiles not just for making and receiving calls but for texting, surfing the internet and even checking messages on Facebook and Twitter, a YouGov poll found.  The survey showed that 5% of drivers had read a post on Facebook, Twitter or another social website, with 2% even admitting posting on Facebook or sending an email while at the wheel. http://www.telegraph.co.uk