Skip to main content

MySpace Invites Users to Vote Early

Pundits have been pondering just how much influence social networking sites like the ever-popular MySpace might be able to exert on U.S. election politics: declared presidential candidates from both major parties have assembled MySpace pages and are enthusiastically inviting the sites’ online-savvy youth demographic to sign on as their friends, and organizers alternately quake in fear and glee as they ponder the potential person-to-person capabilities of social networking services to spread candidates’ messages (or misinformation) and mobilize young voters to actively participate in the political process—and perhaps even vote.

Now, MySpace looks like it wants to flex a little political muscle of its own, announcing it plans to hold the nation’s first presidential primary on January 1 and 2, 2008. The announcement comes as the site launches its Impact Channel, pulling together candidates’ official MySpace pages and promising to offer “political programming” through the 2008 election. The site also plans to run a series of straw polls leaving up to the November 2008 election.

Recommended Videos

“Iowa and New Hampshire may be selecting delegates, but the MySpace vote will be the first test of where candidates stand in the election year,” said MySpace president Tom Anderson, in a statement. Of course, MySpace results will be non-bindin, but MySpace plans to tie the effort into voter registration drives and community mobilization efforts.

“MySpace is establishing itself as a powerful player in the political engagement arena by giving power to its users—giving them the tools to register, vote and actively participate in their democracy,” said Cherie Simon, President of Declare Yourself. “When MySpace’s massive reach is fueled by its strong commitment to empower its users, it will drive millions of young people to actively engage in their democracy by registering to vote.”

MySpace doesn’t require any proof of age when users sign up, so presumably MySpace members under the age of 18 will be able to vote in MySpace’s “primary.” Similarly, many MySpace users have multiple accounts, which may prompt some participants to “vote early, and vote often.” Users will be able to vote for their favorite candidate, and track the voting results immediate after casting their online vote.

Candidate may be thrilled with the idea of campaigning on MySpace: after all, traveling to its virtual doorsteps and community sites is a whole lot easier than trekking around the country, shaking hands, and posing for photo-ops with bawling infants.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Should you invest in a wet-dry vacuum? Everything to know before making a purchase
A person using a wet-dry vacuum

If your home is filled with tile, hardwood, or LVP, you’ve probably considered purchasing a wet-dry vacuum. These cool devices are built to streamline the entire floor cleaning process -- saving you time while also keeping your hands dry. With a wet-dry vacuum, gone are the days of dealing with dirty mops and soaking wet floors. Many models are also capable of self-cleaning, so you won’t have to worry about troublesome maintenance or the buildup of nasty odors.

But are wet-dry vacuums worth their hefty price tags? Even budget options can cost hundreds of dollars, while high-end models often soar above $500. By comparison, a premium mop and all your other supplies can be had for well under $50.

Read more
Aqara is “fully committed” to Matter, reveals support for 50 new device types
A stylized image depicting Aqara products and Matter

Aqara is responsible for a wide range of smart home devices, including smart locks, smart lights, and security cameras. Today, the brand revealed its increased support for Matter, with a staggering 50 Matter device types gaining compatibility with Aqara Home. That’s a huge win for the platform, as it’ll allow you to seamlessly connect your Aqara devices with hundreds of other products beyond the Aqara lineup.

Aqara had already partnered with big names like Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home, but this massive Matter expansion takes things a step further. Full support will roll out later this month with Aqara Home version 5.19 and firmware version 4.3.5 for Matter Controllers. Here’s a quick look at some of the Matter device types that’ll work with Aqara Home:

Read more
Samsung’s new ‘Lite’ cordless vacuum is as powerful as Dyson and has AI smarts
Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Lite

Samsung announced a number of new products during its World of Samsung event in Frankfurt in the middle of march, including new fridges where Bixby can open the doors, and the world's most powerful cordless vacuum. With the dust having settled on those launches however, the company has thrown another offering into the mix after announcing the Bespoke AI Jet Lite on its newsroom. 

Matching the same suction power as Dyson's flagship Gen5Detect, the Bespoke AI Jet Lite has 280W of power within its lightweight build thanks to Samsung's HexaJet Motor, which is the same motor the company also put in the top-of-the-range Bespoke AI Jet Ultra. The motor is said to rotate at 140,000rpm, which is in fact 5,000rpm more than Dyson's offering, though we're not going to count so we're taking Samsung's word for that.  

Read more