The 27th edition of South by Southwest kicked off Friday with a bold prediction that desktop 3D printing will unleash a new industrial revolution guided by "creative explorers."

Inventing or replicating everyday objects in three dimensions using laser beams and molten plastic is a major theme of the interactive segment of the 10-day SXSW festival that also celebrates independent film and music.

A number of countries are aggressively trying to control the Internet, a top U.S. diplomat cautioned Thursday, insisting Washington would give no ground when it comes to curbing freedoms on the Web.

"Many Middle Eastern countries, Russia, China and others are I believe going to take an increasingly aggressive stand to try to control the Internet," Alec Ross, the State Department's outgoing senior adviser on innovation, told reporters in Geneva.

Facebook began Thursday transforming the stream of updates from friends at homepages into a "personalized newspaper," with news ranging from the personal to the global.

The News Feed on homepages at the leading social network was revamped to get rid of clutter and present "bright, beautiful" stories, such as insights from friends or trending news of the day.

The Czech Republic has been hit by an unprecedented wave of cyber attacks this week, with investigators stumped over their origin amid concerns they could lead to worse mayhem.

"We don't know anything about the motivation for now, because no one has claimed the attacks," Radek Holy, spokesman for the National Cyber Security Centre, told Agence France Presse following attacks on media, banks and telecommunications websites.

Known throughout the world for quality cars and industrial giants, Germany is now seeking to position itself for the coming revolution, "industry 4.0", powered by Internet.

"The Internet has become an integral part of industry," said Chancellor Angela Merkel as she inaugurated the CeBIT, the world's biggest high-tech fair here in the northern city of Hanover.

When John Kerry took to Twitter on his first day as U.S. secretary of state, he joined an army of diplomats using social media to reach out and connect directly with people around the world.

"Exhilarating to walk into @StateDept today and get to work with remarkable team. Dad on mind! -JK," Kerry wrote in his first personal tweet.

"You want to get rid of email? Good luck with that," smiles Tom Reuner, an IT analyst at British firm Ovum.

But at the CeBIT, the world's biggest high-tech fair in the northern German city of Hanover, some firms are considering doing just that, as studies show that workers spend nearly one third of their day sorting through emails.

Facebook users began sharing more private data after the social network giant revamped its policies and interface, according to a study released Tuesday.

The seven-year study by Carnegie Mellon University researchers said users had been moving toward greater privacy settings from 2005 to 2009, but that the trend reversed with the Facebook changes in 2009 and 2010.

From a glove that can be used as a mobile phone to a remote-controlled spy helicopter: this year's CeBIT, the world's top high-tech fair, showcases a bewildering array of gadgets.

For geeks in cold climates, China-based firm Winnershine Technology has just the thing: a glove that can be used as a mobile phone while keeping your hands toasty warm.

With a flick of the wrist, residents of a futuristic home developed in Spain can browse Internet pages displayed on the living room walls, switch off a giant projected alarm clock in the bedroom or transform the entire interior into a busy streetscape or tranquil beach.

It may seem light years ahead of current "smart home" technology, but this prototype apartment in Fuenterrabia, a city in Spain's northern Basque country, is far from the realms of fantasy.