Kennedy mourners on Twitter

The Kennedys, one of the country’s most well-known political families, have turned to Twitter as a way to keep the public informed about funeral activities regarding the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy.

The Kennedys' account name is @KennedyNews and a number of messages have been posted so far. The first few included a message authenticating the account and a description of Kennedy's motorcade route through Boston.

'This is the official account of the Kennedy family and staff. Will be used for info about memorial and funeral activities. #tedkennedy.'

The senator's death from brain cancer has dominated headlines since he passed away on Tuesday and CNN says the subject has generated much conversation on Twitter as well.

Kennedy was the third longest-serving member of senate in U.S. history and the state of Massachusetts elected him nine times. Kennedy's passion was healthcare, but he also fought for a number of other causes including voting rights and equality for minorities, according to TedKennedy.org.

Mourners gathered at the Kennedy library in Dorchester, Massachusetts Friday morning. The library's doors opened at 7:40 a.m. Kennedy's wake was held Thursday and the senator's staff estimated that 25,000 people attended the service. His staff thanked mourners for their support by posting a message on Twitter.

Searching Kennedy's name on Twitter will deliver results of all kinds, including personal messages to the senator, quotations and links to photos of the politician.

More marketers get a clue

Slowly but surely, marketers are moving away from the television commercial and are letting their products advertise themselves on free internet sites.

The Ford Motor Company is banking on the Fiesta making a big splash next year, according to USAToday. But instead of hawking this hot hatch by filming some exaggerated ad on a barren stretch of Death Valley in a misguided attempt at enticing America's I'd-prefer-a-Prius 20-somethings, they've given a couple away to some bloggers for a couple of months.

'It's about culture change and adapting to this ongoing way of communicating. The bloggers are fully free to say what they want,' said Ford's Scott Monty to the paper.

The bloggers get to keep their cars so long as they post a clip about them once a month on YouTube. They're also encouraged to write content about them on Facebook and Twitter.

Evidently Americans appreciate an objective opinion of a car more than a 30-second clip full of moaning exhaust tips and revving tachometers all aglow. USAToday says that companies like Levi Strauss and Chevron are also adjusting their marketing operations to better fit the social media-addicted consumer of today.

Seriously, tweeting saves lives

The government is using social media to save American lives from a potentially fatal infection.

As goes the old maxim, knowledge is power. The power to protect yourself from the H1N1 virus, better known as swine flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently began using sites such as Twitter and YouTube to teach the public how to identify symptoms of the condition. Sir Francis Bacon would be proud.

Apparently the YouTube videos are 'nothing fancy,' according to Janice Nall, the CDC's director of e-health marketing. 'We're just trying to get the content out in video format,' she told InformationWeek.

The CDC's videos have gotten approximately 100,000 hits so far. But that's on their website. On YouTube, they've gotten over 2 million.

The CDC also has several Twitter feeds. According to InformationWeek, there are about 700,000 tweeters consulting the information they release.

While YouTube has been around for while, Twitter is relatively new on the scene. The site has become enormously popular as people seem to love exchanging information via the micro-blog. The site received much attention last June when Iranian protesters used its service to express themselves during the country's presidential election.

Business analyst knows what love is

Many men cast a wary eye on the internet dating scene, but now there's an eBook that'll apparently guide you through the dos and do not dos of meeting women online.

Rob Murphy is the founder of NetDatingSuccess.com and believes that too few men come away from online dating satisfied. So he got in touch with a bunch of his lady friends and started thinking. The product of all this rumination was his new eBook appropriately entitled The Essential Guide To Online Dating For Men.

On a testimonials page dedicated to Murphy's piece, Phillip from London said, 'Hey Rob. Just thought I would drop you a quick email, had been on a dating site for a few weeks, not really got much interest. Downloaded your guide and realised I had been making so many errors with my profile, changed it...and have never looked back!'

Murphy's background is in business analysis. His acumen in business matters shone through when he released the eBook discreetly last May and offered up a couple of copies for free so he could get some feedback and be sure his advice would help.

It's been estimated that there are more than 50 million active online daters today.

Schwarzenegger likes tweeters

Twitter just got a big supporter.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger embraced the micro-blogging site on Wednesday and praised the founders of Twitter for starting something that has captivated the world and created an innovative way to communicate across great distances.

The California governor went to Twitter on Wednesday and fans were invited to listen in on his conversation with founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams via tweetcast. Schwarzenegger discussed Twitter's presence in Iran during the election and said he was sure the site never intended to participate in any sort of revolution. Stone and Williams confirmed this.

'You always try to reach out and touch the people; you need to know always what they are feeling and it changes so quickly,' Schwarzenegger said of maintaining contact with voters and getting their feedback.

The governor also said he has turned to tweeters for suggestions on how to correct California's intimidating budget deficit. One Twitter user said the state could have a sort of garage sale to capitalize on unused or unwanted property.

Schwarzenegger took office in late 2003. The 62-year-old governor's approval rating has dipped a bit recently, according to WSJ.com. The site says that California's severe budget problems are the cause of the voters' dissatisfaction.

Real business in the virtual world

Today, some of the biggest corporations are using Second Life to save money.

Mattel, CIGNA, Dell, Wells Fargo, Nike, Coca Cola, Northrop and IBM are all doing business on Second Life, according to Macon.com, The Telegraph's official website.

'[Virtual reality] is not a fly-by-night technology. It's not a passing fad,' according to Matt Furman of Northrop Grumman.

One IBM spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal the company saved about $350K last fall by holding a conference on Second Life instead of having it, well, in reality.

At a Second Life corporate event, participants log on to their computers and teleport to the appropriate venue. While there, they sit in on lectures and presentations. Occasionally, there will be social gatherings afterward so the avatars can unwind together.

Doing business in virtual reality might seem normal to some, as colleges and universities have been taking advantage of platforms such as Second Life to conduct classes for a while now. Second Life was launched in 2003 by Linden Research, Inc. and now has approximately 17 million users.

Yahoo goes to Jordan

Yahoo has decided to buy Maktoob.com, according to the Jordan-based website. Maktoob hosts the Arab world's largest online community.

On August 25, Yahoo signed an agreement with Maktoob Group. The terms of the contract are currently unknown to the public.

'This deal will push other online/media companies into looking at how they can expand their own products,' said the UAE's daily Gulf News.

According to Maktoob, industry figures have warned that rivals will soon be looking to follow suit.

The new team now has a user base of perhaps as many as 36 million people on 10 different websites all around the Arab world; a testament to the worldwide reach of today's social media. Evidently, one of Yahoo's missions is to better connect the world.

Yahoo and Maktoob say they'll be offering services such as news, email, IM, security features, online photo storage and social networking of course. And it'll all be free.

Zawya Dow Jones says that Yahoo is also planning on expanding into other emerging markets in South East Asia, India, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Yahoo recently joined forces with Microsoft in an effort to compete with Google in the internet search and advertising biz.

Teens text, adults tweet

Marketing research company comScore says that only a small percentage of tweeters are teens, and the New York Times evidently finds that quite interesting.

The Times recently published a long article about Twitter, the micro-blog site whose chirpy name reflects its hyperactive feed. Apparently it's visited mainly by adults.

'I just think it's weird and I don't feel like everyone needs to know what I'm doing every second of my life,' said Kristen Nagy to the paper. Nagy is an 18-year-old New Jersey native who clearly has no interest in Twitter. However, she does send and receive a modest 500 text messages each day.

The Times says there are a number of possible reasons this is the case. First, most young people have Facebook. In fact, Forrester Research said that almost everyone under 35 is on some form of social network site. The news provider adds that some teens simply have no need for tweeting.

The paper also says that teenagers might not tweet because they don't want their parents to know what they've been up to; they prefer to communicate as discreetly as possible.

Last June, comScore reported that Twitter had 44.5 million unique visitors. According to Business Insider, of those visitors 22 million connected from outside the U.S. And these numbers don't account for visits made to the site via smartphone.

FB in love… again

Last night, Mark Zuckerberg's status message was 'Spotify is so good.' This comes after MySpace announced it would buy iLike last week.

According to Spotify.com, the service is a new way to listen to music (similar to iLike). You download and install the program and start listening straightaway.

'There are no restrictions in terms of what you can listen to or when. Forget about the hassle of waiting for files to download and fill up your hard drive before you get round to organising them. Spotify is instant, fun and simple,' says Spotify.

Zuckerberg, the 25-year-old CEO of Facebook, had expressed an interest in iLike. His site had even given the iLike app special attention, according to TechCrunch.

But when it came down to it, MySpace's offer for the service was the sweeter fig and iLike just couldn't say no. So Zuckerberg was back out on the prowl. The rub is that Spotify is only available in Western Europe right now.

A recent BusinessWeek article says Amazon wanted iLike too. Although exact figures were never disclosed, the Wall Street Journal speculates that MySpace paid iLike $20 million. As word of the possible Facebook/Spotify deal only surfaced recently, little is known about what might come next.

Skype gets sort of greedy

According to FierceVoIP, beginning September 6 many outgoing international Skype calls made from the U.S. will be subject to a connection fee of $0.079. This is twice as pricey as the current $0.039 charge; not exactly crippling, but still.

For countries included in Skype's Global Rate destinations group, which includes over three dozen locations spread across Asia, Europe and the Americas, the increase won't apply. But if you plan to call Indonesia, for example, expect to pay a little more.

'It is only a small one-time increase per call, and these changes do not affect the per-minute charges for Skype calls,' said Skype spokesman Chaim Haas.

Haas says the increase is normal. He says Skype reviews its pricing and tailors it to reflect market conditions. Connection rates apparently needed to be adjusted.

The online auction website eBay bought Skype in 2005 for $2.6 billion but quickly began wondering where it fit in with the rest of eBay's portfolio. In April 2009, the auctioneers announced they planned to divest themselves of Skype by summer 2010. Gregory Lundberg, a Commresearch analyst, said the market was not ready for a Skype IPO at the time of eBay's announcement.

Jane Fonda gets her Twitter on

Best known for getting America into shape, Jane Fonda is now putting her words into a fit and healthy order as she recently made the voyage into the social networking world.

Along with stars like Ashton Kutcher, Shaquille O'Neil and Ellen DeGeneres, Fonda has joined the micro-blogging site and already has almost 46,000 followers.

Her tweets are fairly interesting - one of her recent updates dispels rumors of her impending fourth marriage - (short dash)and slightly amusing, such as the post from August 11, 'Now 7 of us are getting into our hot tub.....what a night in NM.' Clearly, Fonda still knows how to have a good time.

Perhaps Fonda's increased Twitter presence may be an attempt to garner interest about her new book called The Third Act: Entering Prime Time. The San Francisco Gate reveals that it will be released sometime in the near future.

Luckily for the stars, Twitter's new geolocation tool is intended to be an optional application. Developers recently outlined the enhancement that aims to post tweeters' locations, including their latitude and longitude, right in with their updates.

Myspace secret shows still going strong

While Twitter and Facebook seem to be leaders in the social networking race, Myspace is showing that it can be a very viable contender especially when it comes to all things musical.

First, Myspace announced it was acquiring iLike, a music sharing and downloading applicationa currently connected with Facebook. Now, the social network shows it can still throw a party with its latest secret show featuring Willie Nelson and Band of Horses.

The show is set to take place August 25 in Maui, Hawaii, and will coincide with the release of Nelson's latest album, American Classic. He reportedly collaborated with songstress Norah Jones on one track and Diana Krall on another, ultimately producing a jazz-based vibe in his work.

The performance will be free to the public, but via Nelson's blog fans are advised to show up well ahead of the 5pm doors time. The first 20 fans who arrive with Citi Forward Myspace cards will be allowed to skip the line and head straight in.

Nelson plans to follow this special gig with a limited U.S. tour, starting in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 19.

Facebook to hire 500

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, told Bloomberg he plans to expand his staff by 50 percent this coming year. The site currently employs 1,000 people.

The recession has taken its toll on many businesses worldwide, but Facebook has taken advantage of the human capital surplus that exists in the U.S. and the company will continue to do so.

'No one else has been hiring. It's been a great environment for us because the economy has helped out,' said the 25-year-old CEO to Bloomberg.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, claimed revenue would experience an impressive 70 percent increase in growth in 2009. Last week, Sandberg also told The Guardian that the company was profitable over the last six quarters before interest and tax and that it will be 'cash flow profitable' in 2010.

Zuckerberg's aggressive hiring intentions are understandable. Although he made no mention of a deadline, the young CEO told Bloomberg that Facebook will eventually cater to 1 billion users. The site currently enjoys 250 million Facebookers, so Zuckerberg's goal could be classified as ambitious. Furthermore, it will require more manpower.

Twitter to tell the world where you are

The latest initiative from micro-blogging site Twitter will include geographical data in each person's tweets, displaying their latitude and longitude along with the time stamp.

This way, you can find out just where your long-lost cousin tweets, and they technically won't be lost any longer.

Called gelocation, the program is about to be previewed to platform developers so they can tweak features to allow it to operate as smoothly as possible. The tool will be featured as an app first before appearing on the website, according to an official blog posted by founder Biz Stone.

However, the team is leaving this feature up to each user, giving them a little privacy. 'Folks will need to activate this new feature by choice because it will be off by default and the exact location data won't be stored for an extended period of time,' he wrote.

Users do have the option to include this information in each tweet they send, which could be amusing for those travelling and posting updates about their trips.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is

Logging on to your favorite online dating site, you see multiple messages and flirty comments from an utterly stunning human being and can't believe they're actually interested in a date. After the joyous clouds clear away, chances are reality sets in and you become decidedly skeptical - that Antonio Banderas lookalike can't be after a date?

You're not alone in this disbelief, or at least wariness about the online dater's photograph. In a recent survey by CheckedProfile.com, around 80 percent of individuals who date online do not believe the picture of their potential mate is real.

Those who participated in the CheckedProfile's study cited experiences where they had been contacted by others who used a model's photograph rather than their own or looked nothing as they did online.

Site founder Ben Way explains that he set up his page and the survey because in the past, 'people have been able to hide behind online identities and claim to be someone they are not.' He thinks this should change since 'we wouldn't accept this in the real world [and] we shouldn't have to accept this online.'

New online dating site for the legally single

The search for a soulmate can sometimes be frustrating, particularly if you feel like your dates just don't understand your career. Just dating a young professional doesn't cut it and so a new site was recently launched for lonely hearts in the legal world.

Lawdate.com aims to connect those in the industry with one another, hopefully eliminating awkward first-date questions like, 'what do you do?' or at the very least, allowing legal professionals to speak freely using specific jargon.

Those who join the site have the chance to browse profiles, blog about their lives and experiences and give their two cents on messageboards.

Each member establishes his or her online profile and is able to look for others with whom they will be compatible, taking into account unique criteria. For example, individuals can look for dates with similar work-style habits and schedules.

Founder Wendy Freedman explains the site is 'for professionals who are interested in accessing a selective database to help them meet not only other educated professionals in their fields but also to connect with others of interest outside of the legal arena.'

Virtual worlds no longer for gamers only

Online gaming fans aren’t the only ones enjoying the virtual world anymore. Simulated environments now serve a variety of purposes.

According to the Australian Associated Press, social network strategist Lauren Papworth recently discussed the future of vacation planning at an Australian tourism conference.

'So you could navigate your way around the hotel, have a paddle, go upstairs, go downstairs and then talk to someone who probably looks like a Barbie doll, because that's what all the avatars look like at the moment,' said Papworth.

University, college and high school students have also been taking advantage of simulated environments. Virtual classrooms are becoming increasingly popular as is evidenced by Schome. Schome (school + home) was launched by Peter Twining of the UK's Open University. Twining discussed Schome in a 2007 Guardian article. Its objective is to improve the education system by using student input.

Simulated environments offer internet users the opportunity to congregate and discuss their mutual interests and at the same time create their virtual identities. Papworth claims the limitless interaction of these virtual identities is the future of word of mouth marketing.

Twitter users stopped production of car

Everyone likes expressing their opinions and Twitter users perhaps prefer to communicate their views in the most succinct manner possible, given that the site's premise is to send messages in 140 characters or less.

However, these little letters proved extremely influential when it came to the new Buick compact crossover that was supposed to be manufactured by General Motors.

Media sources reveal that bloggers and Twitter users negatively discussed the new car to the extent that the company deemed it a waste of time and money to produce and therefore scrapped all future plans for the model.

The SUV was intended to be a hybrid vehicle, bringing together a powerful car with environmentally friendly technology.

According to Bloomberg, the so-called hideous model was nicknamed the Vuick because it resembled GMs car the Saturn Vue but this model was far less physically attractive as Twitter users reportedly posted things like '#Vuick must die,' the news provider reveals.

This is not the first unconventional use of the micro-blogger. Those who want to pray at the Western Wall but are unable to make the trip are encouraged to tweet their prayers to an Israeli student, who then writes them on scrolls and takes them to the holy site, news sources report.

Another reason to remove heinous Facebook pictures

Last weekend was, in your friends' opinions, the best ever and it was hilarious when you fell asleep drunk, danced on the table or jumped fully-clothed into the neighbor's swimming pool. However, even if you have a great sense of humor, you may want to get any incriminating photographs off Facebook as soon as your hangover clears up.

According to a new survey by CareerBuilder, job seekers should realize that potential employers are finding ways to learn the real truth about their candidates who come in dressed up and claim to be polished Harvard graduates.

Hiring managers certainly do their research, for 53 percent of respondents found inappropriate photographs or information about their interviewee on a social network. A further 44 percent of employers also saw that candidates had content on their pages of them drinking or doing drugs.

On the flip side, those who set up clean Facebook pages actually helped their job prospects, for 50 percent of hiring managers said that the job seeker's page helped them gain a better understanding of the individual.

Facebook group goes after Whole Foods

Social networking sites are a great way to bring people together. Sometimes individuals unite over a favorite band, other times it's a hit TV show.

Now one group of Facebook users have come together over their disgust with one Whole Foods official and this collective seems to be going strong.

With over 20,000 members, Boycott Whole Foods is calling on its members to stop shopping at the popular health and organic food chain. Reportedly, company CEO John Mackey made a questionable comment in a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed piece.

He quoted Margaret Thatcher's words, 'the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money,' and implied President Obama's health care plan was akin to socialist practices and would therefore fail.

The Facebook group also determined that Mackey implied health care should only be for the wealthy, but do not quote him directly. He does say that reforms should 'be financially responsible, and [allow us] the freedom to choose doctors and the health care services that best suit our own unique set of lifestyle choices.'

Mackey suggests that people could take better care of themselves, and this could be open for interpretation, which Facebook followers seem to have already done.

Facebook not private enough?

Once you join a social network, you might run into people you never expected to see again, like that really annoying kid from high school, or your ex-best friend from college. It is possible to restrict your online persona but for five individuals Facebook's privacy rules just aren't tight enough.
 
Media sources report that five California residents have sued the social networking giant because it reportedly infringes on their right to privacy due to the manner in which it collects and shares information.
 
According to the blog TechCrunch, the plantiffs are complaining that they set up accounts with images, and then other users could see their updates or read their posts. They feel that this should not have been the case, and that Facebook has violated their privacy because others have access to this information.

TechCrunch writer Jason Kincaid compares the suit to 'jumping into a pool and then complaining that you’re wet.'

When users put information on Facebook, it is visible to friends that the user accepts. They can then see this individual's activity online. It is possible to restrict images and even a personal profile from being seen thought the Google search engine if the individual so desires.

However, Facebook's basic premise is that it is a tool for people to connect and share with one another, as displayed on the site's main page, informing everyone of its intention before they sign up.

Games for social networkers

First Facebook let you follow your crush's every move, then you found your mom on the network and now, for the time-wasters out there, the site also features a nifty set of games.

World of Warcraft may not have hit Facebook just yet, but there are other equally intriguing multi-player virtual worlds over which the imaginative can rule.

Take Restaurant City, for example, that the Los Angeles Times says welcomes over 10 million users each month. The game looks somewhat similar to Sim City, but individuals instead have the chance to set up and run their own virtual restaurants.

Users are invited to decorate their establishments, put together the menu and hire employees from their Facebook friend pool, the news provider reveals.

This kind of play is known as social gaming, according to the San Fransisco gate, in that people can log in or out during the day and interact virtually with others. They don't have to dedicate hours of continuous time to it comma and Facebook or Myspace-based games are generally free.

While some find the constant Texas Hold 'em Facebook invites tedious, or don't care about the latest menu item at your pal's restaurant, these games still provide a whimsical use for social networking. Just don't get caught playing on the job.

Match.com's top cities for cheap dates

Times are tough but everyone wants to find their soulmate no matter what the economic climate is like. To present less expensive dating practices, top online dating site Match.com released its list of most affordable cities in which to take out your sweetheart.
 
Taking the coveted number one spot was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as researchers found that a casual dinner and movie tickets came out to $77.80 for two. This seemed to be the criteria by which all cities in the list were judged.
 
Los Angeles failed at the dating game with the same basic activities costing over $100. If you are a single in the City of Angels, your best bet is to skip the movie or the dinner, depending on how well the date is going.
 
New York and San Francisco came in near the end of the list with their pricey outings but on a more positive note, Detroit ranked as the second most affordable city.
 
Match.com doesn't want your pricey city to squash a budding online romance for it reminds pretty young things that there are many free date options.
 
It suggests individuals look at free museum admission nights, bookstore readings and signings or take intro classes together at a local gym.

Huffington Post and Facebook unite

A new feature called HuffPost Social News on Facebook aims to bring the news directly to social network-fiends.

Even though the Huffington Post has been working with Facebook Connect since the beginning of the year, this move makes it easier for users to share new stories with one another and pass on information, media sources report.

The new feature reportedly displays user comments plus all the stories each individual has read on his or her news feed or home page when users are logged on to the application.

According to CNet, the collaboration is interesting because up until this point, Facebook has tended not to partner often with third-party sites. It also chose to work with what some consider to be a left-leaning news provider.

However, co-founder and editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington seems optimistic about theagreement, as the San Francisco Gate reveals.

She explained that 'we are actually in the midst of a Golden Age for news consumers,' reasoning that 'we now engage with news, react to news and share news,' and the new application is one way in which the paper can allow the public to be engaged with media.

Be comfortable while surfing Twitter, Facebook

It's sometimes hard to drag yourself away from Facebook, particularly when a hot topic is being wildly discussed. However, one man is out to make the user's experience more pleasant or at the very least, a little more comfortable.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Justin Thomas designs and crafts pillows with popular social networking logos as designs. He then sells them through the online marketplace, Etsy.com.

Currently, Thomas focuses mainly on familiar images from Twitter and Facebook including the Fail Whale which is currently on back order, the news provider explains.

For those who don't know, the cartoon mammal comes onscreen when there are problems with the micro-blogging page.

The pillows are priced between $15.99 and $17.99, depending on their size and design.

Chicago's local NBC news affiliate further explains this socially-networked businessman works from his home by himself and also has a Facebook page of which users can become fans.

Other new designs Thomas is contemplating include Flickr, Chrome and Stumbleupon, as he recently announced via a status update on his Craftsquatch Facebook page.

Environmentalists rejoice: it's good to download music

Greener members of society should feel good about that new Mp3 player they just purchased, even if it is made from non-renewable plastics and other materials. The tunes that will be added to this new gadget will help not hinder the environment.

A new Intel and Microsoft-sponsored report reveals that downloading music from the internet is better for the planet than purchasing new CDs.

The document explains that due to more energy efficient computers and devices, music fans produce less carbon emissions using the internet to obtain music than buying a physical disc even when large files are transferred.

Most energy is used getting the CD to the customer in the retail store. Transporting the item to the user also releases the most carbon dioxide, making it harmful to the environment.

For example, the report describes how a music disc has to travel and sit in a warehouse before being delivered to the store. If the user purchases the CD online, it must still be shipped and delivered, thus increasing package and transport costs, both in terms of carbon output and monetary value.

Digital downloads, on the other hand, reduce harm to the environment by 40 to 80 percent.

Myspace on the cusp of iLike ownership

The social music network, iLike, may soon to operate under the blanket of Myspace, popular for connecting people with one another and for being a vehicle for artists to showcase their sounds.

The iLike music program works in conjunction with other user-powered sites such as Facebook and Bebo. Through the application, iLike offers recommendations to listeners based upon their music preferences, according to top technology blog, TechCrunch.

In addition, iLike hosts band pages in a manner similar to Myspace music and visitors to iLike can purchase and download music.

Myspace may be aiming to generate more traffic, since the news provider reveals that iLike is popular with Facebook visitors - over 10 million individuals on the latter are signed up to the music program.

Media sources further report acquiring iLike will cost Myspace around $20 million.

One new feature iLike will bring to Myspace is its download store since currently Myspace Music users are sent to Amazon if they want to purchase their favorite tunes.

The collaboration between both music platforms should make it easier for artists to connect with fans but also allow listeners to quickly hear and buy new tracks.

Study: Single male online daters willing to donate sperm

The results of a new poll indicate that some single men are more than okay with helping a single female fulfill her dream of having kids, without fatherly attachments.

Three top online dating sites - Date.com, Matchmaker.com and Amor.com - surveyed singles and asked if they would consider raising a No Strings Attached Baby and the father probably not to be central in raising the child.

Approximately 50 percent of single guys would help their female friends become mothers, but 30 percent of this group would make it a requirement that they were legally the biological father only, and the arrangement was without strings.

On the other hand, 42 percent of women said that it had crossed their mind to ask a guy friend for assistance in creating a family.
Similarly, just over 43 percent of male respondents admitted that they had considered fathering a child with a girlfriend who was not married.

Online dating relationship advisor, Shira Zwebner explained that the results were indicative of changes in social attitudes. '[I]t's no longer stigmatized for [women] to choose other avenues such as adoption, anonymous sperm donation, and no strings attached babies, to become mothers,' she said.

Broadway musical squeezed through tweets

As YouTube and online television networks increase in popularity, the humble Broadway musical has decided to raise the social networking bar with its new use of Twitter.

According to the New York Times, Next to Normal now playing on Broadway may have increased its fanbase thanks to its series of Twitter updates that tell the musical's story.

Over a 35-day period, character's lines were presented in the form of tweets, and it gave fans a deeper insight into their thoughts and motivations.

'[T]his is what [the characters] would say if they were tweeting,' Brian Yorkey, Next to Normal's writer and lyricist told the news provider. '[The tweets are] telling the story of the show but telling it from a lot of different perspectives,' he explained.

Next to Normal is not the first performance to incorporate Twitter into its promotion or aesthetic.
The Royal Opera House in London invited micro-bloggers to contribute lines and plot for an opera that will be performed before a live audience. The music will be composed by Helen Porter and Mark Teipler.

This Broadway musical is following suit as the latest Twitter update reveals that 'fans are helping N2N's Tony winning songwriters Tom Kitt & Brian Yorkey write an original song on Twitter!'

New Radiohead track leaked

Music-loving Twitter fans were all abuzz yesterday with rumors that Radiohead's latest track had mysteriously appeared online.

It transpired the rumors were true as NME.com reported that the popular band's new song, 'These Are My Twisted Words' was available via YouTube.

Last year, the quirky British group released In Rainbows, a full length album, online only at first and fans were invited to pay whatever they wanted to download it. The music was also available for free, if you did not want to contribute.

Some fans were reportedly mystified at this latest effort as the track's uncharacteristically long introduction hinted it may be a hoax. Despite this, Twitter users excitedly posted updates like 'just loved Radiohead - These Are My Twisted Words' from jonkul or reported rumors - Radiohead EP Release May be as Early as Monday - Billboard' from mediazoic.

At least Radiohead fans have the chance to hear their favorite's latest material. Those who are awaiting further news from supergroup Them Crooked Vultures are still teased with tantalizing clips of sound or links through their Facebook page.

Users can become fans of the band featuring Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters, and be informed of site changes through their Facebook news feeds.

Facebook, Twitter get popular down under

Australia may be absolutely on the other side of the world, but that doesn't mean they neglect their social networking. Rather, the use of sites like Myspace and Twitter is currently on the rise in the land that brought us boomerangs, according to the latest figures from comScore.

The data provider revealed that Australia's total internet audience increased by 12 percent between June 2008 and 2009. Interestingly, its social networking usage leaped up by 29 percent over the same time period.

It's probably time to find your Aussie friends from study abroad over on Facebook as 71.5 percent of the country's web users log on to social networks. This group includes individuals over the age of 15, and 26 percent of them are frequent visitors to Facebook.

Will Hodgman, comScore's executive vice president of the Asia-Pacific domain noted that this data shows how social networks are spreading around the world. '[It] is now an essential part of peoples’ daily online routine, providing a level of engagement and reach that far exceeds most other content categories,' he said.

JetBlue tweets exclusive promotion

Out of the more popular airlines today, JetBlue is considered by some to appeal most to young people due to its focus on trendier in-flight entertainment and cosmopolitan meal offerings.

The company has also been busy with its latest marketing campaign, announced to over a million Twitter followers in order to keep with its hip image, econsultancy reports.

JetBlue plans to offer unlimited travel for those who purchase one $599 ticket during the entire month of September in an effort to fill planes during the interim month between summer vacations and holiday or winter trips.

The news provider reveals that since this announcement, there have been over 10 million mentions of JetBlue on blogs and social networking sites around the internet. After one day, spokeswoman Jenny Dervin revealed that the company has already sold a third of the special offer tickets it has reserved.

'This is a good way for people to give us a try, especially in a month that has more seats available than any other time of year,' she explained to the news provider.

Television attracts viewers through Facebook

Since many people already use Tivo to skip commercials and watch their favorite shows without interruption, NBC is looking to Facebook to get people interested in fall programming.

Its new show Community will kick off this fall but for the lucky few who were able to catch it, the pilot episode of the show was streamed through Facebook, TVSquad.com recently reported.

Users can watch the episode by becoming fans and then streaming it through their site, but only until August 14. Other curious viewers will have to wait until the show airs.

The series stars Chevy Chase and Joel McHale and takes a light-hearted look at community college life for adults. McHale is most famous for his tirades on pop culture on another show called The Soup.

Since media sources reveal that NBC aims to target the Facebook-user demographic, the move is definitely a smart one that will hopefully build a solid fanbase and keep people involved.

With marketing moves such as this, it seems young people will never leave Facebook alone. Hopefully, as a recent study indicated, this behavior won't create massive amounts of jealousy between significant others over the amount of time one of the partners spends on the site.

UK celeb could look online for love

If the supremely rich and glamorous have problems finding their soul mate, what hope is there for the rest of us? Apparently, all roads to romance lead to online dating, as one British celebrity has decided.

The television presenter and model, Lisa Snowdon, apparently is pondering a foray into the world of dating over the internet, even though she was reportedly once the object of George Clooney's affection.

Media sources reveal that Snowdon who also happens to host Britain's Next Top Model, is thinking about online dating because she has ' two friends who've met men that way.' 'So why not?' she said to the Daily Express.

While she probably won't be signing up to Ronpaulsingles.com, Snowdon told the news provider that finding a mate over the internet may still be 'a bit difficult as you start on an uneven playing field when one of you is well-known.'

Snowdon recently showed off her samba skills on the UK equivalent to So You Think You Can Dance with professional partner Brendan Cole. The duo made it through to the competition finals.

Tweeting can be laborious. Literally

It's almost hard to imagine that one can transmit too much information in only 140 characters but this feat was achieved when the wife of Twitter CEO Evan Williams somehow managed to tweet through labor.

Dubbed 'the first Twitter baby' by the L.A. Times, Sara Williams managed to keep her tweets rolling through her experience before giving birth to the couple's son.

The new mom started posting on the micro-blogging site as her water broke, reportedly joking it was nothing like Charlotte's experience on Sex and the City.

Media sources reveal that the tech-savvy lady tweeted that she was timing her contractions via an iPhone app, an event that became less 'fun' as she began to feel discomfort. She wrote, 'epidural, yes please,' opting out of any kind of natural birth.

Her last message before the baby was born mused over the fact that there was soon to be a new person in the room, and there were no further tweets until updates from dad the next day.

Luckily, Twitter users cannot yet send video embedded in their short, sweet messages.

Google's new social networking suite

It may not be Facebook just yet, but Google is taking some of its features and making them more social networking friendly.

On the company's official blog, vice president Marissa Mayer and product manager Rose Yao write that the newly formatted social gadgets feature allows users to interact with friends, play games and share news from outlets like NPR.

There's also a virtual to-do list feature that helps disorganized individuals try to stay on top of their myriad tasks. Mayer and Yao explain that a total of 19 new gadgets were launched.

Friends can stay in close contact with one another through the sites's new updates tool that allows people to post pictures, video, social events and anything else they deem newsworthy to peers.

The fresh Google gadgets are currently available in Australia and will be making their American debut later this week, the blog announces. 'Don't fret if you don't see your iGoogle page updated yet - just check back soon,' the team wrote.

For those who absolutely cannot be away from their laptops, Blackberries or iPhones, Google's social networking tools may help them continue to feel uber-connected to the universe at all times.

Jealous significant other? Get off Facebook

If you've found that your one-and-only seems to fall victim to the proverbial green-eyed monster, try to attend to their feelings and stop Facebook-ing all the time.

Around 300 users recently participated in a study that was released by the University of Gueleph in Ontario, comma and researchers found that partners of Facebook users tended to feel more jealous of their time on the social networking site.

Students aged between 17 and 24 were asked a series of questions, and the scientists developed their own Facebook Jealousy Scale to measure the respondents' answers.

Amy Muise, who co-led the study, felt the sharing of information in a semi-public manner may lead the partner who is not Facebook-addicted to feel jealous of the other due to 'details about their partner's friendships and social exchanges, especially interactions with previous romantic or sexual partners,' she tells Computerworld.

According to PsychCentral, 74.6 percent of participants were said to be somewhat likely to add these individuals from their past as friends. In addition, 78.9 of respondents said their significant other was already friends with an ex.

In the end, one of the best ways to maintain a healthy relationship is to keep open communication and for both partners to step away from the social networking once in a while.

A dating site for stricter lonely hearts

Online dating sites have become incredibly client-specific to help the like-minded fall in love. If your passion is Ron Paul, for example, there's even a dating site for his followers.

A new UK-based site called iSuki recently hit the web, and users the chance to police themselves, eliminating those who do not live up to collective standards.

Reportedly, iSuki has a policy where individuals can be axed if they receive poor feedback from dates or have peer-determined misleading profiles.

In all, the site caters to serious young professionals who are looking for more structure and less online silliness. Plus, the fact that users can police one another means the community will remain of a similar mindset and hopefully these individuals will find the connections they crave.

It's also interesting to note the origin of the site name, iSuki, which may further speak to its potential clientele It is derived from the Japanese word which translates as 'beloved' and the 'i' is added to symbolize the internet.

Features for online daters include private messaging between contacts, a self-described Flirt Box to attract attention from others and the chance to browse all users’ profiles.

Ellen's tweets recognized by teens

Last night, Fox aired the 2009 Teen Choice Awards and talk show host and comedienne was honored for her words, not necessarily her stage presence.

Ellen DeGeneres is the face of the popular talk show named after herself and last night received the award of Choice Twit, beating out the Twitter-obsessed Ashton Kutcher.

However, Ellen did not take her award and slip back into the talk show shadows. She promised, via Twitter, of course, that one of her followers will randomly win $1000.
According to the official blog, Ellen has not yet named the random fan that will benefit from her spontaneous generosity.

The Teen Choice Awards feature popular celebrities, movies and music amongst the mainly teenage girl fanbase. This year, Miley Cyrus performed live on the show and the show was simultaneously tweeted as events unfolded onscreen.

Viewers who hoped to learn about Ellen's win could follow @TeenChoiceGirl to hear insights into celebrities thoughts and to remind fans to turn on the TV.

Posts like 'turn on FOX!!!!! Jonas brothers are hosting teen choice!!!' peppered the feed throughout the show's duration, showing how Twitter has become a significant part of popular culture.

Twit Parade ideal for gossip queens

If you're the type who can't ignore a new episode of Gossip Girl and regularly reads the checkout magazines at grocery stores, a new site could very possibly further fuel this celebrity obsession.

Get ready for Twit Parade - a U.K. site that aggregates British celeb tweets so you don't waste time at work flicking between several famous Twitter pages.

The website, Twitparade.co.uk features a tool that combines popular words featured in celebrity tweets on which users can click to see which famous faces are tweeting about similar topics.

In addition, the main page posts tweets as they happen, 24 hours a day.
Service creator Steve Browne views the new site as perfect for those who desire breaking Twitter news, explaining 'users can simply visit our site to see tweets [posted] by celebrities on one easy to navigate website without having to follow loads of celebrities themselves.'

While this only displays British stars at the moment, creators feel it has wider applications internationally and in the business world. It is hoped that companies will be able to use a more customized version to see tweets from competitors or also Twitter users in a certain market.

An opera composed of tweets?

Twitter has helped people get jobs, meet one another for coffee and now will reportedly help the Royal Opera House put on a show.

Composer Helen Porter is organizing public tweets into a liberetto that will be set to well-known opera tunes with new music, media sources report.

Avid tweeters who would still like to contribute to the opera can leave their tweets at #youropera. Currently, the story reportedly focuses on a talking cat and lovers who seem to be having a few issues.
Act one, scene one ends with one character, Hans, determined to find 'his true love.'

Two singers - one male, one female - will perform the work and it is currently set to be performed in early September.

While some feel that the project makes opera more accessible and less intimidating, Jeremy Pound, the deputy editor of BBC Music Magazine, views this event not as something novel, but rather a bit of a silly fad, according to the Telegraph.

'[The Royal Opera House] should be careful that it doesn't overtake the serious stuff they do,' he warns.

Facebook's waistline expands again

A few months ago, Facebook welcomed its quarter-billionth member and the social networking site may just be unstoppable.

It recently acquired FriendFeed, as announced by group product manager and co-founder Bret Taylor on the site's official friendblog. On top of this project, Taylor was also responsible for launching GoogleMaps.

For those not in the know, FriendFeed allows users to share information with one another that they discover across the web. Like-minded individuals can come together to form groups and swap links, photographs and video.

Users are invited to comment on posts, thus facilitating conversation and further social networking.

Now this tool has joined Facebook because, as Taylor explains, both platforms 'share a common vision of giving people tools to share and connect with their friends.'

While this collaboration has become official, FriendFeed seems to be unsure as to what their next step will be and how the service can maintain its individuality while working with Facebook.

'We're still figuring out our longer-term plans for the product with the Facebook team,' Taylor explained via the company's official blog.
Meanwhile, Facebook fans can still use the News Feed feature with other users to communicate and discover new links and stories.

Robot musician responds to Facebook, Myspace popularity

One British team of musicians has attempted an experiment to measure how social networking popularity can raise and crush a musician's self esteem.

According to Daily Tech, pop artists Ziggy Campbell, Kirby and Tommy Pheron have built a robot that reacts to fan response through Facebook and Myspace. When the robot receives positive comments and more fans flocking to its pages, it registers pleasure, and depression when it thinks that its being ignored.

Called Cybraphon, the robot reportedly creates its music from an Indian Shuti box and other electronic noises that transmit as happier tunes when it feels social networking love and depressing, mournful sounds when it thinks fans are not paying attention.

'We modelled it on an insecure, egotistical band. Bands by their very nature tend to be volatile and prone to implosion,' Kirby tells the news provider, and jokes, 'I'm surprised that the Cybraphon...hasn't hit self destruct yet.'

Cybraphon is effective at hitting online social networks, but can not yet stream its music online and viewers can only hear its mastery through online demo videos.

New career for avid Twitter users?

Social networking allows some companies to better connect with their customers, fans or simply the general population. Now one global organization has shown that its taking new media quite seriously, for it has created a position for one savvy tweeter.

Pizza Hut's new role combines advertising, social networking and a touch of journalsim and Nielsen News reports that one recent grad has become the company's first Twintern.

Alexa Robinson's duties as the first Twintern include up-to-the-minute Tweets about special deals, competitions, menu changes and new technologies for Pizza Hut fans and followers.

She tells the news provider about the position, explaining she didn't exactly know what to expect when taking on the role, but now understands that her tweets increase Pizza Hut's Twitter presence and brand recognition in the social networking sphere.

Robinson 'explains that after stating the job it sparked a lot of conversation - not just on the micro-blogging site but about companies and brands that are on Twitter.' She concludes, 'I think that's been good for the social media space' as her 140-character updates presents Twitter as a form of advertising communication as well as a way to connect with friends.

Learn about box office hits or flops through Twitter

Twitter seems to be starting to prove that it can be a solid, succinct informaiton source, and the new site Skinnipopcorn.com aims to take advantage of this.

The British-based site aggregates a selection of film review Tweets so users who want a quick yay or nay on the latest releases are saved the bother of reading wordy critics' reviews.

The New York Times reports that this page includes the more tradtional movie reviews for those who want undigested film observations, but this could be a great, quick tool for friends making last-minute movie decisions on a Friday night.

'We wanted gut commentary, a very quick snapshot. Is it worth seeing or not?' Brendan Dawes, the creative director explains of the sites' goal.

The website was named not for a more low-fat version of the popular movie treat but for those who want to 'get the skinny' on new film releases, the news provider reveals.

One example is this review from @charmyourkarma, who wrote 'Just watched Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, best movie so far & faithful to the book!' of the latest Harry Potter cinematic effort.

Skinnipopcorn.com focuses mainly on American film releases and does not yet have a search feature, but since the movies are alphabetically ranked, its fairly easy to find your desired movie reviews.

Spoiled for choice when dating online?

Many people enjoy internet dating because it gives them the chance to virtually meet hundreds of eligible singles in one environment. There's no small talk, you see pretty much what the other person looks like and you don't have to worry about getting out of a horrible conversation – simply don't respond to an email.

However, a new study by the National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan reveals that maybe people have too many selections and its making their inevitable dating decisions too hard, according to the New York Daily News.

In fact, the article cites a Harvard Business School professor, Michael Norton, who says that users can experience what he called brain overload because there is too much information and users have the chance to be extremely picky.

It's almost a catch-22 situation. Online daters want more choice and to be able to find their ideal match, but when they have too many options, its harder for them to make a decision, the news provider says of the study.

The research team found that more search modifications meant that people received a longer list of respondents and became less focused. They then made poorer partner selections.

It seems the moral of the story here is to find someone who matches your interest, but don't go crazy trying to find your perfect mate's star sign, favorite spaghetti sauce and other irrelevant criteria.

Supergroup shrouded in mystery

The joys of the internet were once again pushed to the forefront of some music-lovers' consciousness this week.

Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Nirvana and John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin have formed Them Crooked Vultures and already the band's sound are the subject of much internet speculation.

Them Crooked Vultures have their first tour date, or so they say through their Facebook page. One would think this would be a handy source for up-to-the-minute info, but the band are curiously only releasing very sporadic details.

For example, the supergroup are set to play a show in Chicago on August 9, but offered limited ticket information on a minimalistic page and have not previewed any tracks. Reportedly, the gig sold out in three hours.

The Myspace page contains no tracks either.

One blog, Antiquiet, revealed that a YouTube video and clip from the band's first track were said to sadly be a hoax but did confirm that the gig was real.

Until then, Them Crooked Vultures fans will wait with bated breath as they learn that top social network sites only add to this band's mystery.

Archbishop negates a quarter-billion Facebook users

Twitter and Facebook have had a rough week with denial of service issues and slower service but if that wasn't enough, Archbishop Vincent Nichols thinks social networking is bad for personal connections.

According to a piece in the San Francisco Gate, this Archbishop feels that Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and similar sites lead towards a lack of contact with other people, which can then promote depression.

The article describes how social networking has not alienated individuals, but rather brought many people together by bringing the world closer. Social networking has introduced many new couples and reassured the isolated that others share their interests, no matter how bizarre.

However, Trent Reznor's recent move to quit Twitter indicates that like every social institution, online networks deserve a healthy amount of skepticism.

The musician told NME magazine that he decided to close his account because 'a faction of troublemakers showed up' leaving annoying messages.

Yet even though Reznor decided that social networking wasn't for him, he didn't encourage other people to close their accounts, the news provider reported.

Denial of service punches out Twitter, merely slaps Facebook

Earlier today, Twitter suffered from a denial of service attack, reportedly caused by hackers. Users experienced widespread outages, connection problems or no access to the site.

Developer Biz Stone immediately posted on the Twitter blog explaining that this disruption was a 'malicious effort' to prevent users from accessing the site and allowing the site to operate in a normal fashion.

Facebook was also a victim, but only to the extent that users experienced slower service and interruptions, media sources reveal.

Some media outlets are already speculating as to who was behind the denial of service, with the New York Times claiming that the action perhaps originated in Russia or Georgia. One official from the not-for-profit internet tracking company, Packet Clearing House deemed it to be another form of the conflict between the two countries.

'One side put up propaganda, the other side figured this out and is attacking them,' he told the news provider.

Meanwhile, five hours ago Twitter updated its status blog to explain that the site is working albeit slower than usual and the team is working to get things running at full capacity.

Radiohead honor Harry Patch, give to charity with online single

Using iTunes can feel like second nature to some as downloadable or digital-only music has become more prevalent. Now supergroup Radiohead have released their second online exclusive musical effort as a tribute to the late Harry Patch.

The song entitled Harry Patch (In Memory Of) is available only as a download and proceeds will go to proceed for British Legion. To U.S. customers, the track will reportedly cost around $1.70.

For those not in the know, Harry Patch was the last surviving UK World War One veteran and he passed away at the age of 111. Thom York chose to honor Patch with reportedly evocative lyrics that indented to evoke the horrors of war.

Fans of Radiohead can download their song from the band's official web site.

While the band isn't the biggest Twitter users - there is a page @thomyorke with no picture and no tweets - another musical outfit from Great Britain recently indicated their love for Twitter.

The Irish guys of U2 decided to tweet photographs and random observations from venues and their tour bus as their 360 tour kicked off. Bono, reportedly, is quite the avid twitter-user.