Weekly Wrap-Up: BitTorrent Booming, Social Books, Smart Traveling Without A Smart Phone

File sharing lives on despite multiple attempts to terminate with extreme prejudice, how the Web is affecting just about everything we do with books, and the benefits of traveling overseas without a smartphone. All of this and more in the ReadWriteWeb Weekly Wrap-up.

After the jump you’ll find more of this week’s top news stories on some of the key topics that are shaping the Web – Location, App Stores and Real-Time Web – plus highlights from some of our six channels. Read on for more.

BitTorrent Downloads Booming – And Benefitting Musicians

A new report from UK analytics firm Musicmetric pegged the U.S. as the world’s leading downloader of music via BitTorrent. It’s the stuff of Recording Industry Association of America nightmares: Despite industry efforts to shut down BitTorrent tracker sites, the frenzy of file sharing continues. And – surprise! – recording artists are embracing illegal downloads as just another way to do business. BitTorrent Downloads Booming – And Benefitting Musicians.

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The Social Library: How Public Libraries Are Using Social Media

Like many of you, I’m connected to the Internet virtually every waking hour of my day – via computer, tablet and mobile phone. Yet I still regularly visit my local public library to borrow books, CDs and DVDs. Which made me wonder: are these two worlds disconnected, or is the social Web being integrated into our public libraries? The Social Library: How Public Libraries Are Using Social Media.

Smart Traveling Without A Smartphone

My friend Matteo thinks I’m crazy for what I’m not carrying. “Deficiente,” the 31-year-old engineer from Parma, Italy, says. “Man, how can you not have a phone? You must be the only person in Italy without one.” I’m traveling overseas without a phone, smart or otherwise. Many would say it’s not smart. Maybe even dumb. I say it’s one of the best ways to truly get to know a country, despite the inherent communication challenges. Smart Traveling Without A Smartphone.

How The Big Six Book Publishers Are Using Social Media

In the fifth and final part of our series, Social Books, we explore how the “big six” book publishers use social media. So far in the series we’ve looked at the largest social network for book lovers (Goodreads), a new social network for book writers (Writer’s Bloq), how public libraries use social media, and whether book highlights are being successfully socialized. We’ve learned so far that almost everything to do with books – writing them, reading them, borrowing them, making highlights in them – has been impacted by Web technologies. How The Big Six Book Publishers Are Using Social Media.

Why Wikipedia Does Belong in the Classroom

Wikipedia remains misunderstood because many educators have yet to recognize the distinction between Wikipedia as a tool for teaching and Wikipedia as a tool for research. Unfortunately, fear of the latter has blinded most to the possibilities of the former. I believe Wikipedia to be an effective tool for both. Why Wikipedia Does Belong in the Classroom.

Update: Microsoft Patches Internet Explorer Security Bug That Could Have Affected Millions

Microsoft said it was investigating a new zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer that could affect millions of users running the latest versions of Internet Explorer on Microsoft’s most popular operating systems. Update: Microsoft Patches Internet Explorer Security Bug That Could Have Affected Millions.

Finding The Perfect Startup Co-Founder

The ideal startup partner can be as elusive as a compatible mate. And like millions of people have put their love lives in the hands of technology, you can now find your business soul mate online. Finding The Perfect Startup Co-Founder.

15 YouTube Videos That Changed The World

“The Innocence of Muslims,” a trailer for an anti-Islamic film that has served as both an excuse and a spur for the latest round of unrest in the Middle East, is only the latest example of a longstanding YouTube tradition. The Google-owned company has been redefining activism, for better or for worse, since its inception. Here are 15 similarly Earth-shaking videos: 15 YouTube Videos That Changed The World.

Facebook’s 2012 Slide Looks A Lot Like MySpace’s 2008 Demise

Shareholders pushed Facebook’s stock up slightly last week after reassuring comments from CEO Mark Zuckerberg. In the process, they overlooked a significant decline in two key areas reported by comScore: U.S. desktop usage, where Facebook has traditionally sold most of its ads, is down 12 percent among younger users (12 to 24 years old), who have always been seen as Facebook’s core users. Could Facebook be heading into a MySpace-like dive? Facebook’s 2012 Slide Looks A Lot Like MySpace’s 2008 Demise.

Apple’s iOS 6 Maps App Falls Short In Early Reviews

Apple made headlines earlier this year when it was confirmed that Google Maps would no longer be the default app for mapping and navigation on iOS devices. That years-old partnership crumbled amid rising tensions between the two companies, mostly due to Google’s entry into the smartphone market. To fill in the gap, Apple acquired C3 Technologies, a company that specialized in building 3D mapping software. At its Worldwide Developers Conference last summer, Apple showed off the slick, immersive result. “Apple’s iOS 6 Maps App Falls Short In Early Reviews.

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