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Latest by Francis Bea

Thanks Twitter, but here’s everything that’s wrong with your two-factor authentication set-up

After a string of attacks on Twitter, the social network launched two-factor authentication, but is it enough?
a winner is you

Snag a closet makeover, the chance to be a model, and other social ways to win this week

Win access to the CFDA Fashion Awards, Instagram a selfie to be a model, become DoubleTree Hotel's traveling ambassador in this week's social ways to win.
audio apps

The ‘Instagram for audio’ app race is getting louder

Video, text, photography all have its fair share of the spotlight, while audio has been overlooked - until now.
nba twitter amplify

Twitter launches Amplify and its attempt to target TV ads in the stream

With Twitter vying for TV ad dollars, the social network launched Amplfiy, to stream pre-roll ads, and TV ad targeting.
google conversation search

Hands on with Google conversational search: Is it time to start talking to our browsers?

Google quietly rolled out conversational search, enabling users to search using their voice, but just how practical is it?
tumblr web instream coca cola

Yahoo will pack Tumblr with ads, starting with the dashboard

In-stream web ads are coming to Tumblr, and this won't be the last new ad product now that Yahoo is overseeing the acquired company.
iPadBroadcast

Imo.im rolls out its newsfeed “Broadcasts” to Android and iOS devices

Imo.im launches Broadcasts, a social newsfeed, to help users discover people with common interests.

This thesis project makes real-life animated GIFs! Wait … what?

Indulge your GIF obsession in real-life with a point and shoot camera, printer combo, developed by college student Jiho Jang, called GIFTY.
twitter login verification

Twitter is rolling out its much-needed two-factor authentication security system

In the wake of recent high-profile Twitter hacks, the platform is cracking down with the roll out of its two-factor authentication security system.
twitter lead generation money

Participating in offers on Twitter just got a whole lot easier

Twitter launched Lead Generation Cards, helping users sign up for offers a lot quicker without having to navigate outside of Twitter.
release to refresh

Twitter snags patent for pull-to-refresh, swears it will only use it defensively

Twitter's pull-to-refresh can be found in many mobile apps, and while Twitter was granted the patent, it assures that it will only be used defensively.

New report says indie labels aren’t complaining about music streaming

Music streaming are actually padding the bottom line of indie music labels, according to a study by music rights agency, Merlin.
google hangouts

Google product manager confirms, Hangouts will get Google Voice support ‘soon’

Google product manager Nikhyl Singhal confirms in a Google+ blog post that Google Voice support is on the way and will roll out "soon."
snapchats photo

Privacy organization files FTC complaint against Snapchat

Snapchat's problems with its glaring loopholes are mounting, and this time its fate may end up in the hands of the FTC after EPIC's complaint.
samsung giveaway facebook hoax

Do not click! These are the Facebook hoaxes you need to avoid

Facebook hoaxes and scams won't relent, but at the least here are five types of hoaxes you should be mindful of as not to fall victim.
Twitter-Contest-Win

Win a dream vacation or thousands in cash in this week’s social ways to win

This week you can win a vacation, thousands in cash, or even a full year's supply of Dunkin' Donuts Iced Coffee in this week's social ways to win.

The Financial Times falls victim to the Syrian Electronic Army

The Syrian Electronic Army continues its hacking tour and claims The Financial Times the organization's latest victim.

Movie theaters are about to get Twitter and Foursquare-focused pre-shows

Twitter and Foursquare are partnering up with National CineMedia to show pre-show ads in theaters of Hollywood trending tweets, and local search-based ads.
google hangouts

Google Hangouts SMS support ‘coming soon’

SMS is the most-requested feature from Google Hangouts, and fortunately Google community manager Dori Storbeck says SMS support is coming soon.
facebook save share photo

Facebook’s 6.1.1 iOS update rolls out with re-sharing, saving photos, group messaging

Facebook rolled out a new update to its iOS app that provides users the option to re-share or save photos, along side with new group messaging support.

41 new Google+ features announced at Google I/O

With Google I/O taking place today, the company announced 41 brand new features to Google+.
internet map

Check out this beautiful, illegally-made GIF mapping the Internet

Taking a "picture" of the Internet is actually very illegal, but that didn't stop this white-hat hacker-researcher from embarking on this "fun" project.
webby awards meme of the year

Webby Awards announces this year’s meme nominees

The Webby Awards, in conjunction with Buzzfeed, announced the nominees of this year's "Meme of the Year."
i played social roulette

Facebook cuts off Social Roulette, app with 1-in-6 chance of killing your Facebook account

Social Roulette is a risky game with a 1-in-6 chance of having your Facebook account deleted, but Facebook has cut off the app's access to Facebook's API.
peanuts

Vine gets its first brand partnership with Charlie Brown and Snoopy

Khao Phan, a growing Vine "star," is part of the Peanuts gang after being hired to create 12 Vines on 12 themes for Peanuts Worldwide.
Andrew-Auernheimer

Weev in solitary confinement for remotely tweeting from prison

Weev has reportedly been thrown into solitary confinement for tweeting about his time behind bars, despite not having Internet access, through a friend.
morton's steak photo

Turns out Instagram food porn isn’t only annoying, it can land you in prison

Morton's steak is well worth savoring - and bragging about - with an Instagram photo, but it's not worth going to jail over.
facebook newspaper

This week in Facebook news

In this week's Facebook news, Facebook adds more emojis, courts Waze, and finds out how many of your are friends with your mom.
happy mothers day twitter

Twitter’s Mother’s Day PSA: Get the f*$# off of Twitter this Sunday

If there's one day of the year that you should stay off of Twitter, Twitter says that Mother's Day is it.
spire bushey hospital vine surgery tweet

The next big thing in medicine? Live-tweeting and Vining surgeries

In the UK's first live Vine-recorded surgery, Spire Bushey Hospital live-tweeted a hip dysplasia surgery step-by-step without sparing important details.

Twitter’s latest acquisition means it’s about to get a whole lot faster

Twitter scooped up scalable computing startup Ubalo, which we suspect will be used to speed up search and improve keyword ad targeting.

100 days in, what do we know about Vine?

syrian electronic army and the shadow feature

Can the Syrian Electronic army weaponize Twitter to topple Western media?

In an interview with the Syrian Electronic Army, we talked to its 24 year old leader "The Shadow" to get a glimpse of the SEA's motivations and agenda.
propublica sinatra snap boston globe

Finally! A discovery engine for Instagram that lets you search by date and location

Seeing as how Instagram is a source for breaking news ProPublica developed Sinatra, an open source Ruby app for searching photos based on time and location.