Ashley Esarey was surprised at what he saw when he logged into Sina Weibo, China‘s most popular microblogging site. He happened to be in Beijing in March when news of Bo Xilai‘s ouster from his post as Communist Party secretary …
Social
New ‘Youface’ Social Network Might Remind You of Something
How do you create a social network to compete with Facebook? Easy, just make a crude clone of it and call it Youface. That’s what Ayub Abdulloh did in Uzbekistan.
According to Radio Free Europe, he didn’t seem too bothered by …
Bump’s Newest Trick: Phone-to-PC Photo Sharing
Bump is a clever little free app that lets you exchange photos and contacts between two devices instantly and effortlessly by simply bumping them together. Until now, the two devices in question have probably been Android or …
Sick of Hearing About Facebook? You’re Not Alone
With the much-heralded Facebook IPO almost upon us, a backlash is growing amongst those weary of the endless hype. Some are skeptical of the company’s lofty valuation; others are just sick of all the attention being given to a site they see as little more than a frivolous time-sink.
New Google+ for iPhone Is a Slick Wonder (Still Needed: a Decent Google+ for iPad)
Keeping up with Google+ is — for me — a never-ending roller-coaster ride. At first, I loved Google’s social network. Then it slipped out of my list of daily must-visit sites, in part because the quality of the conversation …
Like to Brag on Facebook or Twitter? That’s Because Self-Disclosure Is like Eating and Sex, Says Study
We love talking about ourselves, we really do — that’s what a group of Harvard neuroscientists found while testing the theory that we’re big on self-disclosure, anyway. In fact, say the scientists, we love self-disclosure so …
How to Create Your Own Healthy Eating Plan with Pinterest
Remember the days of cooking alongside Mom as you read the ingredients from a much-loved, oil-stained recipe book? Ah yes, the glory days (and stained recipes) will hold a nostalgic place in our hearts, but things have since …
Color’s Video-Sharing App: Now Optimized for Verizon
Back in March of last year, an innovative but ill-fated iPhone and Android app named Color debuted. It let you share photos with nearby folks who you didn’t necessarily know; the idea was that it would be cool for use at …
92 Teen Text Terms Decoded for Confused Parents
Not so long ago, most teenagers’ text messages read to other people like a jumble of seemingly disconnected letters, numbers, and odd punctuation. Using a combination of shortened words, creative spellings, and a liberal …
Facebook Now Lets Organ Donors Tell Their Friends
Not content with merely changing the world, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks he can save a few lives as well.
Starting today, Facebook users in the United States and United Kingdom can post organ donor status to their …
Are Online Dating Services a Waste of Money?
A team of researchers led by Eli Finkel, a professor of social psychology at Northwestern University, decided to test the claims of dating sites by comparing the likelihood that users would not only find, but also stick with …
Glimpse: A Facebook-Powered Pinterest Clone Without the Human Feel
Pinterest, which lets you collect and share images and links from around the web, is quirky, addictive — and wildly popular. So it’s not surprising that it’s also proving to be influential. It sure influenced Glimpse, a new …