Social networking just got real
In the 1995 sci-fi thriller Virtuosity, starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, the virtual bad guy from a supercomputer crime simulator (played by Crowe), managed to escape the world of software and make it into the real world as a nano-tech self-generating Android. That's a far-fetched premise, but Virtuosity was a great movie anyway.
In any event, the code sometimes does become real, at least in the world of social networking. As norms and conventions from sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram become popularized online, entrepreneurs and artists are finding ways to bring them to life.
A real
Facebook book
A company called Egobook will download the content from your Facebook profile and print a hardcover book called a Likebook.
The book is printed in the colors and broad look-and-feel of Facebook and includes your photos, status updates, comments, albums and more. It's just like your Facebook profile, but made out of dead trees. Read more...
Facebook hires Gowalla talent, gets ready to shutter location-based site
It's official: Facebook has hired the makers of the Gowalla location-based social networking app.
"We're excited to confirm that Gowalla co-founders Josh Williams and Scott Raymond, along with other members of the Gowalla team, are moving to Facebook in January to join our design and engineering teams," Facebook said in a statement. "In talking with the Gowalla team, we realised that we share many of the same goals: building great products that reach millions of people, making a big impact quickly, and creating new ways for people to connect and share what's going on in their lives. While Facebook isn't acquiring the Gowalla service or technology, we're sure that the inspiration behind Gowalla will make its way into Facebook over time." Read more...
Facebook’s $100 billion IPO: By the numbers
When the social network goes public in 2012, Mark Zuckerberg's company may instantly become one of the the biggest hits in IPO history
One hundred billion dollars. That's the eye-popping amount at which Facebook's swoon-worthy 2012 IPO could value the social media giant, according to The Wall Street Journal. Here, a brief guide to the figures and the forecasts:
$24 billion
Net worth gained by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg if the IPO values his company at $100 billion Read more...
UK Government warns of Al-Qaeda’s plans for ‘cyber jihad’
Terrorist and extremist groups are increasingly using online tools and social networking sites, according to a new government report
Al-Qaeda has explicitly called for a "cyber jihad", the Government has warned.
The UK's updated report on counter-terrorism strategy said the use of social networks and video sharing websites among terrorist groups was now "commonplace".
The report, published by the Home Office, also cited the use of Twitter by terrorist groups to share extremist content quickly and widely: "Twitter will be used to repost media or forum articles enabling extremist content to be shared more quickly, widely and amongst people who would not normally search for extremist content." Read more...
What would you pay for a Google+ invite?
Wish you were on Google's new social networking service, Google+?
Well, you 're not alone. And some people are looking to make a little cash on people's desire to get in to some Google+ circles.
Entrance into Google's Facebook competitor, is free, but limited to a very small number of people. And it's that limit that seems to have inspired people to find their way onto the site, which Google has said is still in a field test stage. Read more...
How to Effectively Use Social Media When Job Hunting
Employers and recruiters are relying more and more on social media to find valuable employees. In a survey of 600 employers, conducted by Jobvite.com in 2010, 73% of respondents stated they use social networks or social media to support their recruitment process.
Also, an additional 9% stated they plan on using social networks in the near future. Beef up your old strategy of relying on Internet job boards by incorporating a few social media platforms. Don’t be content with simply peppering companies with your resume and hoping for the best.
The majority of jobs are not posted on the Internet. Some studies report that 80% of jobs are found through networking. Employers typically use a list of employee referral candidates before taking the time to check out resumes submitted online. Read more...
Microsoft warns about Social Network viruses and data theft
The next time you are prompted to enter your facebook or twitter password after clicking on some nice ad, make sure the location bar of the browser says 'facebook.com' or 'twitter.com.'
Gone are the days of alluring emails asking you to part with your bank account details to claim your million dollar prize, cyber criminals now prefer to 'hang out' at your favorite social networking site.
According to the Security Intelligence Report -- a quarterly security-related update from the World's biggest software firm Microsoft -- social networks accounted for 84.5 percent of all attempts to steal personal data from users in December 2010. Read more...