Social Media

Beleaguered social network MySpace agreed today to settle charges brought forth by the Federal Trade Commission, which says that the company failed to properly protect the privacy of its users by sharing users' personally identifiable information with advertisers. As the FTC explains in a press briefing on the matter, MySpace assigns a FriendID to every user profile, which often contain a vast array of personal information, from name and… Read More

The business of being an expert has always been good, but the Web is making it better. Constant, instant connectivity means that the best of the best are an Internet connection away. Video technology has gotten good enough (and so pervasive) that we are all learners and teachers and all we have to do is use what’s been given to us. So why aren’t we? That’s what the Powhow team asked before launching their online marketplace for experts and… Read More

If 2011 was the year of the hashtag, is 2012 the year we'll physically see it in real life? Better yet, we might be able to live in one. A Danish architecture design firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is planning a twin tower skyscraper that resembles the shape of a hashtag set to provide urban residencies in the city district of South Korea. According to these concept photos, the towers already look wildly futuristic enough to warrant a… Read More

As detailed by the Kansas City Star, high school principal Louise Losos at Clayton High School in Missouri resigned at the end of last week after it was discovered that she created a fake Facebook profile under the name Suzy Harriston. Harriston's profile had over 300 friends and mostly targeted Clayton High School students in addition to some parents. Rather than using a profile picture of a female student, Dr. Losos used a picture of a… Read More

As mentioned on the Official Google Blog earlier today, the Google+ development team is pushing Hangouts On Air live to all Google+ members over the next few weeks. Prior to this point, Hangouts On Air was limited to influential Google+ users like celebrities, organizations or politicians. Launching worldwide, any Google+ member can start streaming and recording live broadcasts which can be published to a YouTube channel after the streaming… Read More

When I first heard the news that “Glancee is joining Facebook,” I was immediately interested. When I first moved to Portland a few months back, I downloaded the app, hopeful to see if it could help me find any connections in a new city. After using the service for a few weeks and checking out the alternatives like Highlight, I was convinced that Glancee was the superior platform. I never did have any luck meeting relevant connections through the… Read More

The Facebook acquisition news continues as the social network has just scooped up SoLoMo app Glancee. Glancee was one of SXSW 2012’s social discovery darlings that leveraged your location to find like-minded friends (and future friends) in your area. After its short run, the app will now be moving things over to Facebook HQ, where it’s undoubtedly part of the company’s attempt to strengthen its mobile reach. Just because the deal follows right… Read More

Since it infamously debuted, culling labels like “revolutionary” and “ground-breaking” and pulling in the type of early valuation numbers that bubble fear-mongering is made of, Color has had a difficult time establishing itself. The original application floundered early due to a confusing UI and extremely high expectations. Color’s pivot hasn’t amounted to much either. It became tightly integrated with Facebook to provide personal livestreaming.… Read More

If you're the kind of person who needs a second opinion on what you plan to wear, this Brazilian fashion retailer will give you upward of thousands. C&A has launched a clothes rack line called "Fashion Like" that is networked to show how many Like's the particular clothing item received on Facebook so you can get some crowdsourced opinions before making the buying decision. C&A began by posting photos of its… Read More

If prospective employers can try and look up your Facebook before considering hiring you, why can't club bouncers? BBC reports that bouncers have begun to ask those seeking entry to hand over their phones to confirm their identity through Facebook Mobile. According to the BBC report, a 20-year-old based in the United Kingdom has had bouncers ask for her smartphone to see what Facebook account is logged into the phone at the moment. This… Read More

Evernote is unstoppable: Just last week, the productivity and memory platform closed a huge round of fundraising — $70 million to be exact — and found itself at a $1 billion valuation. But the numbers themselves don’t matter so much to CEO Phil Libin; it’s what he can do with them that means something. And Evernote isn’t wasting much time, scooping up iPad handwriting app Penultimate. Libin and Penultimate CEO Ben Zotto tell me the… Read More

How dorky do you have to be to rock the Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other popular websites on your clothes to show your affinity for all things Internet? Apparently, not much at all. These sneaker designs by graphic artist Lumen Bigott prove being connected to the web can be rather fashionable. The designs are featured on Ked sneakers and were promoted by the brand last year though no words were confirmed about the shoes going on sale.… Read More

Eventually headed to Facebook's mobile applications as well as the mobile Web interface, Facebook has launched a series of updates to the standalone Facebook Messenger application available for iOS and Android devices. As mentioned by Techcrunch, the most notable addition included in today's update is the ability to view which friends have viewed a message and the exact time the message was viewed. This feature also works with the… Read More

Happy Star Wars Day! Many of our childhood memories are of the timeless saga that has inspired generations of fans, with many more generations sure to come. A myriad of brands, inspired by Yoda, Darth Vader, and other iconic characters from the franchise, have over the years debuted commercials that have tugged at our hearts or compelled us to chuckle. Some have done such a great job that viewers forgot that they were watching ads, and even… Read More

This week, Deadspin brought an ESPN contributor named Sarah Phillips to our attention. The sordid story involves Phillips rising through the blogosphere and becoming something of a Web celebrity – even though her personal information was confusing at best. A handful of mismatched photos, the fact that none of her employers had ever seen her in person, and the various aliases and Internet-based business offers she brought into the mix make her a… Read More