Editor's Note: This article continues our series excerpted from AC360°'s contributor David Gewirtz's upcoming book, How To Save Jobs, which will be available in December. Over the next few months, we'll be excerpting the first section of the book, which answers the question, "How did we get here?".Last time, we looked at how India has been transforming itself into a world-class competitor This time, we start to look at the Internet and how some of the early irrational exuberance has led to some of today's job market problems. To learn more about the book, follow David on Twitter @DavidGewirtz.

David Gewirtz | BIO
AC360° Contributor
Editor-in-Chief, ZATZ Publishing

While many of the tasks we perform here in the 21st century are pretty much the same as those we performed before the turn of the century, many factors have changed the flavor, pace, and experience of 21st century employment.

Chief among the factors changing the employment world has been the Internet. Of course, as we all know, the Internet existed for quite some time before we began the 21st century, but its almost overwhelming ubiquity has been a phenomenon of the last few years.

You may remember the boom (and subsequent bust) of the early World Wide Web. From about 1995 though about 2001, the excitement and irrational exuberance of the dot-com bubble seized the imaginations of financiers wanting to make billions from entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs wanting to make millions from their sweat and smarts.

This was a time before Google and YouTube, a time when Amazon was just starting up and we were all wondering if anyone would be willing to use their credit cards online. It was a time when us techies found ourselves explaining to the less computer-savvy what ".com" meant, what those "www" things were, and trying to help our family and friends understand the difference between email and the Web. Twitter and Facebook were still years in the future.

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Mashable's Pete Cashmore says he thinks location-based mobile startup Foursquare will be the Twitter of 2010.

Pete Cashmore
Special to CNN

As 2009 draws to a close, with Twitter undoubtedly this year's media darling and Facebook continuing on its path to global domination, you may wonder which social-media service will become tech's poster boy in 2010.

Among the Web's early adopter set, the answer is nearly unanimous: Foursquare.

While the technology landscape is ever-changing, I'd argue that Foursquare already has aligned itself to become next year's mainstream hit.

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Matthew Continetti
Special to CNN

Sarah Palin appears on Oprah on Monday to mark the launch of her book, "Going Rogue." She'll follow up with an extensive interview with Barbara Walters, a multicity book tour and appearances on the Fox News Channel and talk radio.

She'll grab plenty of headlines. As you read about Palin's old-media tour, it's important to remember that she's also a pioneer in the political use of new social media. Not that she gets any credit.

Sometimes the most important revolutions are the quiet ones. This is especially true in the case of technology, which has a way of sneaking up on us.

Take cell phones, for example. A decade ago, they were a luxury item. Suddenly, everyone seemed to have one. What had once been a sign of status became commonplace, all with hardly anybody noticing - and without any central direction.

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Jack Gray
AC360° Producer/Writer

It was around the time that I explained why I was going to Los Angeles – "Soleil Moon Frye invited me to a Twitter conference at The Kodak Theatre"  – that my friends’ heads exploded. It was as if I had never before flown cross-country to discuss social media with a TV icon at a Hollywood landmark. They had completely forgotten about that night outside Whisky A Go Go and the woman I thought was Alan Alda.

Nevertheless, I’m thrilled to be in L.A., a city I visit far too seldom. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed its palm trees and Kardashians.

Frankly, the reason I don’t come to Los Angeles more often is that I have a slight to moderate fear of flying. Luckily, on my flight out, I was distracted by the gentleman next to me; a man who – for reasons known only to his grocer and/or therapist – kept fiddling with a variety of deli meats.

Transcontinental salami aside; it has so far been a great trip. The only caveat is that I’m nervous about this afternoon. That’s when I’ll be joining Ms. Moon Frye (call her Punky Brewster and she’ll cut you) and businesswoman/writer Jane Buckingham (she’ll hold you down while Punky cuts you) for a panel discussion of Twitter. Hardly a seasoned public speaker, I have no idea what to expect of myself. I suppose I should just play it safe and stick to religion and politics.

Of course, our panel discussion is just one of many over the course of the two-day 140 Conference. And while it and the fake Oscar acceptance speech I may or may not attempt to deliver before being ripped from the stage are stressing me out, it’s nothing compared to the anxiety I feel knowing that my boss, CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein, will be there. In. The. Same. Room. Watching. Me. Speak.

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David Gewirtz | BIO
AC360° Contributor
Editor-in-Chief, ZATZ Publishing

Every topic needs its own day or month, and I guess cybersecurity is no exception. This October is the sixth annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security. And while it may seem silly for cybersecurity awareness to need its own month, there's nothing silly about keeping your computer secure.

Let me be very clear here: there are bad guys out there and they are trying to hurt you through your computer.

I know that seems melodramatic, but it's all too true. Cybercriminals, hackers, terrorists, and other malcontents (that sounds so "get off my lawn," doesn't it?) are constantly pushing the limits of Internet security. Most of the time, it's about making money. Sometimes, it's about breaking through security and gaining bragging rights. And, once in a while, it's about causing widespread chaos. No matter the motivation, it ain't good.

This is an arms race.

They'll find a way in, we'll create a new defense, they'll counter-program against the defense, and on and on and on. This is an arms race between security professionals and criminals. Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to defend yourself and your family, and once you've established the right mind-set, you'll be able to take some very basic precautions that'll go a long way to keeping you more secure.

So, let's talk about that mindset first. A lot of people I talk to tell me I'm worrying too much. They tell me they're not important enough to be attacked. They tell me that no one is going to go after them. They tell me that "just this once" there won't be a problem. They tell me that it's all a hoax.

It's not. Here's the thing: attacks are highly automated and easy to do. Every device on the Internet has a number, called an IP address, which consists of four sequences of up to three numbers, like 192.168.1.1. Each sequence ranges from 0 to 255, so the lowest number is 0.0.0.0 and the highest is 255.255.255.255.

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Andrew Torgan
CNN Financial News Producer

Gold continues to push higher into record territory amid concerns about a weak U.S. dollar, inflation and technical-based buying by large investment funds.

The December contract for gold rose $4.70 to settle at a fresh all-time high of $1,044.40 an ounce today. Earlier in the session, it traded as high as $1,048.20, topping Tuesday's intraday mark by $3 an ounce.

Gold, which is up 17% so far this year, has been supported recently by concerns about the dollar and bets that inflation will rise over the long term as the economy recovers and stimulus measures will have to be reversed.

Analysts expect the rally to continue and say gold could push past $1,050 this week and top $1,100 in the near future.

Sources: Administration considering safety net measures

Amid nervousness about states' economies and a growing unemployment rate, the Obama Administration is considering a series of measures aimed at putting many Americans back to work before the 2010 midterm elections, sources close to the process told CNN.

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Michael Schulder
CNN Senior Executive Producer

I’m not going to mention any real names in this piece, even though I only got wind of one person’s first name. But I experienced something today in a CNN rest room which all of us have probably had to confront. Whether to answer a cell phone call when you’re in the bathroom.

I never have answered a cell phone in a bathroom, for a variety of reasons. Protecting my cell phone from potential water damage is the least of those reasons. I think there are certain boundaries we need to preserve to maintain a civil society. This is not the most pressing issue on the civility front today. But it did turn my stomach when someone in the men’s room picked up the cell phone and proceeded to have a conversation as if it talking on a cell phone while in the process of a natural act were the most natural act in the world.

“Jim?”

Zip

“Yeah, we still on for lunch?”

Flush

“OK, that time sounds good for me.”

Hand wash (thank goodness).

And the conversation went on as the offender exited the bathroom.

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Andrew Torgan
CNN Financial News Producer

Sales of previously-owned homes fell in August, snapping a four-month streak of increases.

Existing home sales fell 2.7% last month from July to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.1 million units, but were up 3.4% from a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Sales had jumped 15.2% in the previous four months.

Lawrence Yun, the NAR's chief economist, said the drop may reflect delays in completing sales due to tough lending standards and new rules for appraisals.

Nationwide sales are up nearly 14% from their bottom in January, but are still down nearly 30% from their peak about four years ago. For the housing market to stabilize, Yun says sales would need to rise to a pace of around 5.5 million to 6 million.

Additionally, the median sales price was $177,700, down 12.5% from $203,200 in the same month last year.

One bright spot in the report: Despite the decrease in sales, the supply of homes on the market fell significantly in August. Total housing inventory fell by 10.8% to 3.62 million existing homes for sale. That's an 8.5-month supply, down from a 9.3-month supply in July.

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Program Note: Tune in tonight to learn more from Randi Kaye about the investigation into the alleged Craigslist murder. Tonight AC360° at 10 p.m. ET.

U.S. Department of Justice

The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) in the Department of Justice is responsible for implementing the Department's national strategies in combating computer and intellectual property crimes worldwide.

According to the DOJ's website, the Computer Crime Initiative is a comprehensive program designed to combat electronic penetrations, data thefts, and cyberattacks on critical information systems.

CCIPS prevents, investigates, and prosecutes computer crimes by working with other government agencies, the private sector, academic institutions, and foreign counterparts. Section attorneys work to improve the domestic and international infrastructure-legal, technological, and operational-to pursue network criminals most effectively.

To view a list of other cybercrime investigations and to learn how to report cybercrime go here.

Octavia Nasr | BIO
AC360° Contributor
CNN Senior Editor, Mideast Affairs

A Muslim call to prayer can now be accessed any time and anywhere thanks to social media networks such as Facebook and You Tube.

Across the world, Muslims are creating online communities to discuss and promote their religion. At the same time, this open discussion is exposing and highlighting issues and concerns considered taboo within Islam and the cultures in which they live.

Syrian blogger Ammar Abdel Hamid sees Facebook as a niche for the otherwise voiceless. “The internet came and gave an opportunity for activists for new voices for young people, for democracy promoters, for human rights activists' he says.

In the Arab world, gays and lesbians are taking to the internet to mingle with like-minded people and promote tolerance and understanding. This is especially significant because in their culture they are mainly rejected and still referred to in derogatory terms.

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