social networking
Revamped Signup Process Shoves New Gmail Users Into Google+
Google is incorporating its social network, Google+, in just about every part of its online empire — including, most recently, its Gmail system. Now, new users who want a Gmail account must also sign up for Google+. It’s not necessarily a novel move for Google. The company has been integrating its products for years, from Picasa to YouTube to Blogger to perhaps its most popular productivity tool, Gmail.
Facebook Gets App-Happy
Do you like to garden? Share coupons? How about bike riding? If so, there’s an app for that — on Facebook, that is — or soon will be. As promised at last year’s f8 developer conference, Facebook rolled out about 60 new apps to be used on its site this week. They are designed for users to express more precisely how they are interacting with content on Facebook.
New FB Feature Lets Friends Rock Out to the Same Tune
Facebook is enhancing its music listening options by launching Listening With Friends, a feature that will let Facebook friends listen to music together via chat. As the feature rolls out to all of Facebook’s 800 million users over the next few weeks, a music note will appear next to a user’s name in the chat list if he or she is listening to a song.
Facebook Riding Shotgun in New Mercedes Models
Facebook will be among the Internet services that can be accessed in new car models from Mercedes Benz. Facebook access is just one of the new features in the second generation telematics system, called "Mbrace2," which will begin appearing in new Mercedes models this spring.
Bits Blog: Google Adds Posts From Its Social Network to Search Results
In what it says is one of the biggest changes to its search results, Google will begin showing posts, photos, profiles and conversations from Google+, its social network, in search results.
Wendy Deng and Twitter’s Tenuous Hold on the Truth
Wendi Deng, wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, started out the year by discovering that her name had been hijacked by a spoofer on Twitter. Twitter had apparently verified the account, "Wendi_Deng," as genuine, but after being informed it was a hoax, quickly removed it and apologized to Deng.
Wendy Deng and Twitter’s Tenuous Hold on the Truth
Wendi Deng, wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, started out the year by discovering that her name had been hijacked by a spoofer on Twitter. Twitter had apparently verified the account, "Wendi_Deng," as genuine, but after being informed it was a hoax, quickly removed it and apologized to Deng.
Twitter as Mood Ring: We’re in a Funk
A group of mathematicians turned to Twitter to gauge global happiness for 2011, and it seems the last 12 months have not been humanity’s cheeriest. The team from the University of Vermont gathered 4.6 billion Twitter messages from Twitter’s 33 million users from around the world.
Timeline’s Coming – Better Tidy Up
Facebook recently began rolling out its Timeline feature, which will replace the social networking site’s traditional user profile. Everything ever posted on a user’s page will be included in Timeline. Members have seven days to review everything that appears on their Timelines before anyone else can see them, and Facebook lets them mark which items they want to keep private.
Tracking Friends and Family on the Legit
Facebook’s recent acquisition of location-tracker heavyweight Gowalla is an indicator of the potential strategic importance of location-tracking technology in the social network arena. Players in this marketplace include Gowalla, which lets users share favorite places with fellow Facebook and Twitter friends and then be rewarded with deals from local businesses, and Foursquare, which offers similar functions.
Tracking Friends and Family on the Legit
Facebook’s recent acquisition of location-tracker heavyweight Gowalla is an indicator of the potential strategic importance of location-tracking technology in the social network arena. Players in this marketplace include Gowalla, which lets users share favorite places with fellow Facebook and Twitter friends and then be rewarded with deals from local businesses, and Foursquare, which offers similar functions.
Facebook Tackles Suicide Prevention
Facebook has teamed up with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to help bring emergency counseling services to members in need. The partnership aims to provide Facebook with the ability to spot comments or material users post that could be indications of severe distress.
