facebook posts

Google Launches Buzz, Targets Twitter and Facebook

by Thomas Houston (RSS feed) — Feb 9th 2010 at 1:49PM

Google just announced Google Buzz, a new system for sharing (and commenting on) updates and media both privately and publicly. A social similar to Facebook and Twitter, Buzz seems to be fully integrated into many of Google's services; you'll be able to access it via Gmail, Google's redesigned mobile homepage, a new dedicated Buzz app, and an updated version of the Google Maps app.

Gmail integration is at the core of the product, but where Buzz distinguishes itself from Twitter and Facebook is its strong focus on location. The aforementioned mobile apps will offer ways to share your media and location via GPS, a capability that, Google claims, will cut through the clutter so prevalent on sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Gallery: Google Buzz

Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, buzz, facebook, google, google buzz, GoogleBuzz, top, twitter

Celebrities, Web, Social Networking

Nickelback Vs. a Pickle: Latest Facebook Meme Asks the Tough Questions

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Feb 9th 2010 at 10:18AM

Because these are the kinds of things that curious minds ponder, we're sure you've spent many a wee hour asking yourself if Nickelback sucks and how they could've ever accrued over 1 million fans on Facebook. That's twice the size of Boston, for Scott Stapp's sake! Well, the citizens of Facebook have heard your cry of confusion, and they've devised a brand new meme to finally answer the question, once and for all -- random object by random object. Because doppelgangers are sooo last week, the newest trend to take over Facebook mini-feeds has users asking each other questions like: "Is nondescript, everyday household item 'x' more popular than inexplicably popular public figure 'y'?"

As Mashable reports, the latest victim is Justin Bieber, pop singer extraordinaire. According to a recently created fan page, Bieber is less popular than your average onion ring (although, considering how delicious onion rings are, that may not have been a very fair fight). The Bieber v. Onion Ring online tribunal page was created at the beginning of the month, and, before you start feeling sorry for the 16-year-old, you should know that he may stand to make some cash off of his popular unpopularity; several businesses have reportedly approached him about advertising on the platform.

Similar sites have already been set up to take aim at other polarizing pop culture figures, like Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (who, by the way, also lost to this apparently unbeatable onion ring). As for Nickelback? Well, they're still pretty far ahead of their dill pickle opponent. We'd like to see them take on someone their own size, though -- someone like the onion ring. [From: Mashable]

Tags: facebook, FacebookMeme, funny, justin bieber, JustinBieber, meme, nickelback, socialnetworking, stephen harper, StephenHarper, top

Facebook to Battle Gmail in the E-mail Game?

by Warren Riddle (RSS feed) — Feb 8th 2010 at 10:18AM

Google and Facebook are apparently engaged in a heated race to store, save, and own every aspect of their members' private activities and personal information. With the massive popularity of Gmail, though, Google has remained one Big Brother step ahead of Facebook.

Michael Arrington at TechCrunch claims that Facebook is challenging Gmail's market dominance, though, with the development of its very own e-mail service. The progression definitely seems like a logical step, as Facebook has already revolutionized the way people communicate, interact, and share information with one another online. The social networking pioneer also allows for chatting, or instant messaging, so incorporating a fully functional e-mail service makes perfect sense, particularly since the massively popular site has already attracted over 350 million users.

Tags: e-mail, Facebook, Gmail, Google, social networking, SocialNetworking, top

Web, Social Networking

Cops Nail Criminal After He Posted His Location on Facebook

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Feb 8th 2010 at 6:30AM

When will criminals learn that using Facebook while they're on the lam is a terrible idea? If you really want to stay out of jail, those friend requests, status updates and application invites can probably wait. But once again, a fugitive wasn't able to resist the temptation of the social-networking site, and he's paying for it.

According to the Associated Press, U.S. marshals busted 39-year-old Christopher Crego on Wednesday, who'd skipped out on a sentencing hearing for a long list of charges, while he was at work. Just how did authorities know where he worked? Apparently, Crego posted the name and location of his employer (a Terre Haute, Indiana tattoo parlor) on both his Facebook and MySpace page. Lockport, New York police logged on and saw the information, and then they passed it on to federal authorities. Just to rub it in, the Lockport cops posted this message on Crego's wall: "It was due to your diligence in keeping us informed that now you are under arrest."

Tags: dumbcriminal, facebook, funny, police, socialnetworking, stupidcriminals, top, web

Web, Social Networking

Major Facebook Redesign Starts Rollout; Chat, Search, Links Affected

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Feb 5th 2010 at 11:00AM

Major Facebook Redesign Starts Rolling Out

That major Facebook face-lift we told you about at the end of December is finally being rolled out to users, starting with 80 million members last night. The latest changes are the most drastic in some time, and make navigating the Web site a significantly different experience.

Most obviously, the top menu bar has gotten an overhaul that moves the search box front-and-center, and puts notifications to the top-lefthand corner, next to the Facebook logo. The left hand navigation menu has also been redesigned, adding bookmarks and a chat list, as well as links for messages, events, games, and apps. The photo uploader has also been rebuilt from scratch to offer better options and performance.

Tags: design, facebook, redesign, social networking, SocialNetworking, top, user interface, UserInterface, web

Social Networking

Dad Kills 9-Month-Old Son and Self, Leaves Suicide Note on Facebook

by JP Mangalindan (RSS feed) — Feb 4th 2010 at 1:35PM

While it's becoming increasingly common for people to leave suicide notes on their Facebook pages, the circumstances surrounding Stephen Garcia's death in particular still gives us the creeps.

Distraught over the separation from his ex-girlfriend, the 25-year-old California native was apparently on a court-ordered visit with their 9-month-old son Wyatt when he drove to an isolated dirt trail in the San Bernardino Mountains and then killed the boy before killing himself in an undisclosed fashion.

Eight hours later, a suicide note, last will and testament, along with a photo collage of Garcia and his son, appeared on his Facebook profile.

Tags: facebook, murder, stephen garcia, StephenGarcia, suicide, top, tragedy

Web, Social Networking

Study Says Teens Aren't Tantalized by Twitter, Blasé About Blogging

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Feb 4th 2010 at 9:30AM

Teenagers, those impetuous stewards of the fountain of youth, are always assumed to be at the forefront of online trends. After all, they're the ones who help Grandma Google, or explain Facebook to Uncle Phil. So what does it mean, then, when teens flock to Facebook and MySpace, but neglect their 140-character cousin? Is Twitter a high school outcast? The answer, according to one recent study, is "yes."

The Pew Research Center's latest Millenial Generation report shows that, while the vast majority of teens continue to use online social networking, relatively few are on Twitter. Just 8-percent of kids between the ages of 12 and 17 tweet, compared to the 73-percent that use social networking sites in general. When divided between older and younger teens, the stats are slightly differentiated, with 10-percent of kids aged 14-17 saying they regularly use the site, while a paltry 5-percent of tweens admit to tweeting.

Tags: demographics, facebook, pew, PewResearchCenter, social networking, SocialNetworking, teens, top, twitter

Grand Central Gets 3-D Ads, Sid Meier's 'Civilization' Coming to Facebook

by Thomas Houston (RSS feed) — Feb 3rd 2010 at 7:30PM

There's a load of great tech news happening out there every day, and, unfortunately, we just can't cover it all. Here are a few of the other noteworthy things we saw today on our never-ending journey through the wild, wild Web.

A modern take (you know some exec is working on the script) on the classic Hitchcock thriller 'North by Northwest' would find Cary Grant's character running through a Grand Central Station full of 3-D advertisements. Yes, CBS is projecting giant 3-D ads in the interior of the iconic New York City train station all through February. [From: Engadget]
You've got about four months left before legendary game designer Sid Meier's latest world-conquering game 'Civilization Revolution' lands on Facebook. Worldwide productivity is bound to plummet. [From: Social Times]
Our latest favorite single-serving blog captions images from modern television with quotes form classic literature. Yes, Flaubert weighs in on Keith Olbermann. [From: Slaughterhouse 902910]
The doppelganger craze hasn't even died down yet on the book and the 'Urban Dictionary' trend is flooding walls everywhere. Facebook, you can implement a dislike button any day now. [From: Huffington Post]

Got a tip? Want to talk to us? In need of more choice links like these? Drop us a line on Twitter and check out our Tumblr blog.

Tags: bestoftherest, civilization, facebook, grand central, GrandCentral, nyc, sid meier, SidMeier, top, tumblr

Web, Social Networking

'Delete Your Account' Helps You End Your Facebook, Myspace Account

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Feb 3rd 2010 at 10:20AM

Online companies have slowly made account deletion exasperatingly difficult (if not impossible) to accomplish, and success may only follow hours of trial-and-error-induced hysterics. While GetHuman has been guiding frustrated consumers through the maze of support lines for sometime, it was only recently that we spotted a similar service that walked users around the hair-pulling experience of expunging profiles, or accounts, from clingy Web sites.

The plainly titled Delete Your Account does exactly what you think: shows you the steps required to remove your presence from various Web sites. Wherever possible, it offers a link to the page where the deletion process begins.

Tags: delete your account, DeleteYourAccount, facebook, friendster, myspace, top, twitter, web

Web, Social Networking

U.K. Prison Gives Facebook to Gangster, Makes Our Penal System Look Good

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Feb 3rd 2010 at 8:30AM

Call us crazy, but giving an imprisoned crime lord access to Facebook doesn't sound like the best idea. After all, running a gang is essentially social networking without the Internet. But that's exactly what British authorities did with Colin Gunn, who is serving a 35-year sentence in a maximum-security prison.

According to the Times Online, Gunn, who is behind bars for ordering the execution of a couple of grandparents, used Facebook to intimidate people on the outside and to communicate with some of his partners in crime over the last two months. Here's a peek at what one of "Britain's most dangerous gangsters" was posting: "It's good to have an outlet to let you know how I am, some of you will be in for a good slagging, some have let me down badly, and will be named and shamed, f****** rats." Gunn's account was deactivated around the end of January, leaving his 500-odd friends to come up with more creative ways to communicate with their boss. (The ol' contraband hidden inside a loaf of bread has always been a favorite of ours.)

Tags: crime, facebook, gangster, internet, prison, socialnetworking, top, web

Web, Social Networking

'Internet Distractions' Personifies the Angels and Demons of the Taskbar

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Feb 2nd 2010 at 5:50PM

For a student, the Internet can be a powerful productivity tool, but it's, unfortunately, a double-edged sword. Sure, you can dive in and research that paper topic you've been assigned; however, you can just as easily spend hours upon hours trolling social networking sites, watching videos on YouTube, or lost amongst any other number of today's digital distractions. It's okay. This has happened to all of us at one point or another.

Obviously, staying focused is tough enough with those alluring icons lined across the bottom of your screen. But what if they could talk, further enticing you to put off writing that paper? That's the premise behind this hilarious video from the folks at College Humor. In the clip, a student opens up Microsoft Word (you can think of it as the halo-donning angel program on your right shoulder). Just as he's about to start typing what would surely be a riveting paper on "The Study of Ions", Firefox (the devil program, sporting a pitchfork, on your left shoulder) dupes the poor sap into checking his e-mail. As you well know, it snowballs from there. There are Facebook notifications to check, a new episode of 'Chuck' is ready for download, and some adult video clips are enticing him further down the path of procrastination.

Tags: collegehumor, distraction, facebook, firefox, funny, internet, socialnetworking, students, top, video, youtube

Web, Social Networking

Celebrity Doppelganger Facebook Photos Could Violate Terms

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Feb 2nd 2010 at 1:10PM

If you've logged on to Facebook in the past week or so, you've probably noticed a string of new profile pictures on the News Feed. But these aren't your typical pictures. Instead, they're pictures of Scarlett Johansson, Ms. Piggy, and various brothers Jonas. Why would your friend insert a photo of a celebrity on her page? It's part of a new trend that recently surfaced on the social networking site called: Doppelganger Week.

But according to CNET News, this phenomenon could violate the site's terms of service. Somewhere in all that small print you didn't bother to read while registering with the site, you agreed not to post any content that infringes on somebody's rights or breaks the law. Posting a celebrity photo (or any photo) that you didn't take would fall under this category. However, a spokeswoman for Facebook said the company hasn't received any requests for doppelganger images to be removed from the site. This means the craze will continue a while longer before it flames out.

Tags: celebrity, celebrity doppelganger, CelebrityDoppelganger, Doppelganger, facebook, facebook trends, FacebookTrends, socialnetworking, top, trends, web

Web, Social Networking

Facebook Poses Greatest Social Networking Threat to Corporate Security, Study Says

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Feb 2nd 2010 at 10:19AM

The threat that Facebook poses to our workplace reputations is already well-documented. But a study now claims that the social networking site may compromise overall office security, not just proper office sensibilities. According to a report published yesterday by Sophos, 60-percent of surveyed corporate executives claimed that Facebook was a bigger threat to firm-wide security than any other social networking site, due in large part to the malware, spam and phishing attacks with which the site is sometimes afflicted. As All Facebook reports, employers also cited the risky online behavior that Facebook can encourage, as well as the potential loss of proprietary data that could arise if employees get a bit too Wall-post-happy.

It's important to keep in mind, though, that the study restricts its scope solely to the social networking sphere, so it makes sense that the most pervasive site would arouse the most fear in corporate gatekeepers. It seems to us, then, that the report demonstrates Facebook's ubiquity more than it does some distinctly dangerous quality of the site. As Sophos points out, social networking is "a vital part of many marketing and sales strategies." Instead of erecting barriers between corporate and Facebook worlds, then, companies should embrace social networking phenomena under tightly controlled conditions, and with the help of "a unified approach providing sensible, granular access control, secure encryption and data monitoring, and comprehensive malware protection." In other words, Facebook may present some dangers, but combating those with impermeable digital borders would only put companies at a greater loss. [From: All Facebook]

Tags: corporate, facebook, security, top, workplace

Columns, Editor's Picks, Web, Social Networking

How Many Facebook Friends Do We Have, For Real?

by Switched Staff (RSS feed) — Feb 1st 2010 at 3:15PM

A few weeks ago, we reported on a study re-released by Robin Dunbar of Oxford University, wherein he retested his theory that the size of the human brain's neocortex can only comprehend social circles of 150 before cohesion gives out. In the 1990s, this number of '150' was known as 'Dunbar's number,' and he arrived at it by studying everything from primitive tribes to modern office environments. So, Dunbar revived the study, curious about how the 'Facebook effect', or the widening of social parameters due to networking, has affected our ability to maintain relationships. Primarily, he attests, it doesn't. Still, 150 is his magic number.

But what of the younger generation? Those who are introduced to people and immediately hop on their smartphones, adding away as an initial sign of 'affection'? A welcoming into their lives? And then there are those of us who have reconnected with friends from grade school, high school, summer camp, college, acting camp, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, AA, etc. Almost in spite of ourselves, our numbers add up.

Tags: dunbar, DunbarsNumber, facebook, features, opinion, robin dunbar, RobinDunbar, top

Web, Social Networking

'Ex-Girlfriend' Worm Squirms its Way Through Facebook

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Feb 1st 2010 at 9:16AM

Whether you own up to it or not, we're all guilty of using Facebook to excavate everyone's dirtiest laundry. While trolling through your friends' list to find out who broke up with who may be guiltily pleasurable, you could also spread an insidious digital worm that feeds on the innate human penchant for gossip.

If you've come across any wall posts on Facebook saying something to the effect of "My Ex-Girlfriend Cheated on me... Here is my revenge!", don't click on the link. As All Facebook reports, it's actually some sort of worm that will automatically repost the exact same message to your wall, and then sit and wait for your other gossip-hungry friends to click on it. The picture alongside the post, of course, isn't any of your friends, or girlfriends, or even any one in particular. However, it seems that an anonymous blonde and salacious phrase is enough of a carrot for many gossip hungry Facebookers to bite on; as a result, the fake mini-scandal has started to spread.

Tags: facebook, gossip, safety, security, top, web, worms

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Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.

Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.

Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.

Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.

HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.

HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.

HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.

GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.

Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.

Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.

Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.

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